Beneath My Balcony
by RachelDalloway
Summary: Rose didn't go to Jack after the gym scene and is sure he's dead. But if he is who is the mysterious man beneath her window? Rated T but there will probably be an M chapter before it's over.
1. Chapter 1

Rose couldn't tear her eyes away from the sinking ship. She didn't know if the screams she heard were real or in her head, but that didn't make them any less horrifiyng. _Jack's somewhere in that,_ she thought. _One of those screams is his. _"Rose, look away from that," her mother said. Rose shot a glare in her direction before turning back to the ship, which was now almost completely vertical. _She doesn't care about all the people who are dying right now, _she thought disgustedly. _None of them do. _Molly laid a hand on her arm. "There's nothin anyone could have done," she said softly. "There weren't enough boats."

Rose blinked away tears. "It isn't right!" she cried. "They should have been given a chance! Why were we allowed to live when they weren't?" _Why am I being allowed to live when Jack is probably dying right now? _As if she were reading her mind Molly leaned closer and whispered, "He'll make it." Rose just shook her head. "He's the one who told me about the water," she whispered back. "He's the one who told me how bad it is." Tears began streaming down her face. "I should be with him. I should have gone with him."

Despite Rose's fears Jack was still very much alive. He clung desperately to the ship's railing and prayed for survival though he knew his chances were slim. As the ship rushed toward the water he steadied his breathing and prepared to let go. There wasn't much he could do to avoid getting caught in the suction, but he knew if he didn't let go of the ship before he hit the water he probably never would. _At least Rose made it onto a boat,_ he thought as he opened his mouth and sucked in as much air as his lungs could hold.

A moment later his body crashed into the water.

_One Week Later_

_Philadelphia_

The engagement gala was every bit as boring as Rose had expected it to be. Cal had spared no expense, for which she knew she was supposed to be grateful, and there was no shortage of women cornering her and gushing about what a "catch" he was. _If one more woman tells me she wishes she were in my place I'll scream. _She looked down at the large diamond around her neck. It was breathtaking by any standards, but all she could think when she felt its weight on her neck was _The ball and chain is a bit high, isn't it?_

"Sweetpea?"

Rose quickly looked up and met Cal's eyes, a smile plastered on her face. "Yes, darling?" There was a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, but it disappeared after a moment. "You're being very quiet," he said. "Not unhappy are you?"

_I wish I was dead, actually. _"Not at all," she said brightly. "I was just admiring the diamond." He smiled, obviously pleased by her answer. "Well, there's plenty of time for that later," he said mildly. He offered his arm. "Right now we have more guests to greet." She swallowed the repulsion that rose in her throat and took his arm. "Of course."

_Why didn't I go with Jack?_

_You would be dead right now if you had. _

_But I'd be with him. _

She was too lost in her thoughts to notice the person ducking as Cal led her past one of the ballroom's floorlength windows.

**AN: I realize how many other stories I've got going right now, but as usual I was listening to a song and...well, here we are. I do not intend for this to be a 100+ chapter epic however. I actually know how I want this one to end, and I don't plan on it taking a long time to get there. Hope everyone likes the first chapter. Short though it may be. **


	2. Chapter 2

"There she is," Jack whispered. His heart pounded in his chest. The urge to force the window open and climb through was overwhelming. She was so close. _And it would be so easy. Two minutes and you're next to her again. _He pushed the thought away. If he ever wanted to be near Rose again diving through a window and crashing a party was not the path to take. "They'd have me dragged away before I could even say her name." For the next hour he crouched beneath the window raising his head occasionally in hopes of catching another glimpse of Rose. It was during one of these moments that he noticed she was nowhere in sight.

"Where would she go?" he wondered. "They wouldn't just let her leave the party." He didn't have to wait long for an answer. A moment later a light came on in an upstairs window. He held his breath as a hand, a delicate white hand, pushed the window open. "Rose," he gasped as she leaned out.

Rose closed her eyes and let the cool night air wash over her. She knew she only had a few minutes before her mother or Cal noticed she was gone so she had to make the most of the time she had. Getting away hadn't been easy. She had to wait until Cal finally allowed himself to be distracted by some of the other men and let go of her. "I thought he'd never leave me alone," she sighed.

Jack gazed up at her. Gone was the fake smile she'd been wearing at the party. In its place was a peaceful expression, but beneath the peace was a sadness. Her shoulders sagged and her arms hung limply out the window. "Oh Rose," he said sadly. Her eyes flew open the instant the words left his lips. His heart began to beat faster as she began looking around, her eyebrows knit in confusion. _She heard me. _

_Jack!_ But it couldn't be. Jack was dead. And even if he wasn't he wouldn't be standing beneath her window in the middle of the night calling her name. "Not after the way I treated him," she murmured. _What are you doing? _he asked himself as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Rose!" he called softly. Her eyes widened. _It isn't Jack! You're imagining things! _But it sounded just like him. "Jack?" she called hesitantly. _What will you do if someone hears you? _

Jack fought the urge to let out a crow of joy. _She knows it's me. Somehow she knows it's me. _"Rose!" he called again, stepping out of the shadows and into the moonlight. Rose gasped. "J-Jack!" Her mind raced. "You're...you're dead," she stammered. He shook his head. "No, I'm not. I'm alive, Rose."

She tried to keep her voice calm but failed. "And you're here! You're really here!" Tears sprang into her eyes. She knew she didn't deserve him, but she didn't care. Jack smiled. It was his first smile since she left him after the third class party. "I'm really here," he said. "I wish I could come down," Rose blurted out. "But I'd never make it outside," she added quickly. "They've probably already noticed I'm up here." He eyed the rose trellis that covered the covered the space beneath her window. There was no way she would be able to climb down it, but maybe... "I could come up," he said. "If you wanted me to, that is."

Rose's eyes lit up. "Would you really?" She ignored the voice telling her it was a bad idea, a stupid idea, an idea bound to bring both of them nothing but suffering. At that moment the sky could fall for all she cared. Jack was climbing up to her window.

The minute and a half it took him to scramble up the trellis was the longest minute and a half either of them had ever known, but finally he made it. Rose reached out and took hold of his arms. She stepped backwards and began to help him pull his body through the window. He crashed onto the floor with a quiet _thud._Rose dropped down onto her knees beside him. "I can't believe you're alive!" she whispered. She shook her head in disbelief. "I was so sure you'd died, but Molly was right. You did make it." Guilt seized her. She grabbed his hands. "Jack, I'm sorry about what I said. I'm sorry I told you to leave me alone. I was just so scared, and my mother-"

He gently pressed a finger against her lips. "Ssshh," he said. "It's okay. It doesn't matter." Her chin wobbled. "How can you just forgive me?"

"How can I not?" _I love you._

"For the past week all I've done is wish I'd gone with you. You were all I thought about," she confessed. "But why would you come here? The last thing I said to you was for you to leave me alone."

He looked into her eyes. "I'm too involved.I had to know you'd be alright."

"I thought it was up to me to save myself?"

He nodded. "It is." He looked down at the hand she was still holding. "I just thought you deserved a second chance to try." She released his hand and tilted his head back up. "You mean like this?" she whispered, pressing her lips against his.


	3. Chapter 3

_Stop! This is crazy! _Rose's mind screamed. But she couldn't have even if she'd wanted to. It was as if some unseen force, something far stronger than she, was driving her. Jack felt as though his heart were about to burst out of his chest. _This can't be happening._ She put a hand on the back of his neck and moved closer to him. He froze as her lips parted slightly. _You have to_ _stop this._ But he couldn't. The only thing he could do was follow her lead. Whatever force had taken hold of Rose had seized him as well.

Rose stifled a gasp as she felt his tongue brush against hers. _I can't be doing this_. But a moment later she sank against him, pressing her hands into his neck. She was dimly aware of his hands sliding up her back. No-one had ever kissed her like this. She'd never known it was even possible to be kissed like this. Whenever Cal came anywhere near her she kept her lips tightly closed. More often than not she turned her head at the last second and all he got was a quick swipe at her cheek. She just couldn't bring herself to let him kiss her. But with Jack..._It feels right. It's as though this is how it was always supposed to be_. A shudder passed through her. Jack felt it and pressed her closer. _Rose. _

A loud thud shattered the silence. Rose bolted out of his arms and jumped to her feet. Breathing heavily she stared at the door. Jack stood up. His body tensed as he tried to prepare himself for whatever might be coming.

But nothing did.

He lightly touched the back of her arm. "Rose—" She whirled around. Her face was ashen and terror filled her eyes. "You have to go!" she cried. "Now! If someone really does come up here—" Jack took her hands. "It's okay," he said soothingly. "We'll hear them coming if they do." She shook her head. "You don't understand, Jack." Tears trickled down her face. His stomach twisted. He moved closer to her and put a hand on her waist. "Rose, listen to me," he said. "I didn't come all this way just to be chased off now." _She's shaking. _"Please, Jack, please you have to go," she begged, her voice cracking. "Sshh," he said. He gently began to stroke her cheek with his thumb. "I'll go if it's what you really want." He searched her eyes. "Is it what you really want?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but he didn't notice. There was something wrong with her skin. _It doesn't feel…_ He turned his thumb around. It was covered in moist powder. "What…" Rose's blood ran cold as she watched his eyes drift from his thumb back to her cheek. "I—I—" But that was all she could manage to get out as Jack gently wiped the rest of the powder off her cheek with his shirtsleeve. He stared in horrified disbelief at the black bruise that seemed to cover her face. "He did that, didn't he?" Jack's tone was soft, but there was something in it that scared Rose. She had barely begun nodding when he hurried past her. His hand was already on the doorknob by the time she realized what was happening.

"Jack no!' she cried, grabbing his arm. "You can't go down there! He'll kill you if he sees you! Jack—"

"Not if I kill him first."

Rose was shocked by the anger in his voice. "Jack look at me. Please?" He turned around, never taking his hand off the doorknob. His bright blue eyes were dark. His jaw was tight. There was a tension in his body she had never known was possible. He didn't even look like Jack anymore—at least, not the Jack she knew. _But I've never seen him angry before. _It was a sight she wished never to see again. "You can't go down there," she said pleadingly. "It's not safe for you. It isn't even safe for you to be up here."

He lightly ran his fingertips over her bruise, careful not to press against the sensitive skin. _H_e _hit her. _The words echoed in his head like a twisted, rage-inducing chant. "Why?" He nearly choked on the word. "Just…just tell me that much." Rose's head swam as the memory washed over her. It had all happened so fast. One moment she was curled up on her bed on the _Carpathia_, her face buried in the pillow to muffle her sobs and the next—"You," she said softly. "I was crying for you." Jack's heart felt as though it were breaking. "You were?" he asked, tears forming in his eyes. "Why?" He was sure he knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it. "Because I thought you were dead. Because I didn't go with you—" Her voice broke. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry Jack," she sobbed. "You were right. You were right about everything. I was just too scared to admit it."

"Sshh," he said softly. He stroked her hair. "It's okay. I know you're scared. I just want you to be happy." Rose looked up at him. "I lied," she said. Jack dried the tears from her cheeks with his shirtsleeve. "About what?"

"When I told you I love Cal. I don't love him. I don't even like him," she added. Jack squashed the hope that rose in his chest. "I knew you didn't." Rose touched his face. "But I love _you_."

Jack couldn't breathe. "Did—did you—did you say you love me?" he stammered. It couldn't be right. There was no way Rose loved him. Love from a woman like her was something he didn't even dare dream of.

_Are you saying you never once thought she could feel something for you? When you saw the fear in her eyes, heard her half-hearted lie that you never thought there was a chance she wanted to be with you instead? Or what about her wish?_

"_Something I can't have."_

Rose studied his face hoping to discover what was going on in his head from his expression, but shock was the only thing she saw. _I shouldn't have said it. He doesn't love me. He's just concerned for me. That's just the kind of person he is. _

"I love you too." He couldn't believe he was actually saying the words out loud. She sucked in her breath. "You do?" He didn't answer. He just took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply.


	4. Chapter 4

They were both out of breath when the kiss finally ended. Rose's legs were shaking so hard she could barely hold herself up. Jack's hands were tingling as he gently stroked the soft skin of her face. "You okay?" he whispered. She nodded. "I've never felt this way before." He smiled and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Me neither." For a moment they just gazed at each other, both too overwhelmed to do anything else.

"I can't believe this is happening," Jack said. He tried to stop grinning but couldn't. "I just….this is crazy." Rose returned his grin, her emerald eyes shining. "I know," she said happily. "It doesn't make any sense, but that's why I trust it." Before he could reply she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into another kiss. His legs were shaking even more than hers by the time she released him. "What do we do now?" he gasped.

Her face fell as the reality of their situation came back to her. "I should have been back down stairs a long time ago. They're probably going to come looking for me any second now." Without realizing it she pressed herself closer to him. Jack wrapped an arm protectively around her waist. "You don't have to go if you don't want to," he said. _Oh really? And what are you planning to do if he comes up here demanding to know what she's been doing? _His jaw tightened. "I'll take care of you." _Maybe you can hold him off, but there's a whole lotta other people down there. _

"I have to go back," she said sadly. "I can't just stay up here forever."

_Come with me. _But he couldn't say that. Where would he take her? _You've been sleeping on park benches since you got here, and that ten bucks is now five. _He couldn't just carry her off into the night-at least not until he had a place to carry her off to. _But I can't just leave her. _As if she were reading his mind she said softly, "You have to go Jack." _Take me with you,_ she added silently. He gently cupped her bruised cheek. "I can't just leave you here. Rose, I can't go unless you're coming with me."

She laid her hand on top of his. "I am. Just not now."

And so they worked out a plan.

"Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Jack asked. "I can stay up here until after he leaves." Rose shook her head. "You really can't. If he found you here..." She pushed the thought away. "I'll be fine," she said with more confidence than she felt. "The party's almost over, and he won't stay very long after it ends." Jack pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'll be outside," he said into her neck. "I'll be watching until I know it's okay to stop." She pressed her face against his chest. There was something so comforting about being in his arms. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist anymore. Her nerves began to settle as she breathed in his scent. "Don't let anyone see you," she whispered. "Jack, please be careful."

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be alright."

Rose felt Cal's eyes on her the second she walked back into the ballroom. He continued on as though nothing had happened, but she could see the anger lurking beneath his smile. There was a chance she could diffuse it though. If she acted quickly.

"Darling!"

Cal turned from the small group of people he was impressing with a story about himself. Surprise filled his dark eyes. He couldn't remember the last time Rose had sought him out. She smiled radiantly and laid her hand on his arm. "I'm sorry I disappeared like that," she said. "I hope you didn't worry." He was too overcome by her gesture to care where she'd gone or what she'd done there. _Seems to have done her good,_ he thought. "Only a little," he said pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you back though, Sweetpea." Rose's smile wavered for a moment as the hated term settled in her ears. _Could he have picked a worse thing to call me?_ But he didn't notice.

The rest of the night was a blur. All the faces and voices eventually started blending together. Rose could think of nothing but Jack. Everytime she came near a window she wondered if that was the one he was watching her through. She didn't dare look out for fear of attracting attention to herself. Someone might notice and start asking if she saw something. Despite her distraction Rose played her part better that night than she ever had before. She didn't know if it was the knowledge that she would never have to be led around a dull party on Cal's arm again that did it, or if it was her increasing fear that Cal would begin asking where she'd been for so long. It was actually a combination of the two.

Cal didn't know what to make of the sudden change in her. He knew he liked it though. _She's finally decided to stop sulking after that trash,_ he thought triumphantly. So his actions, though perhaps a bit extreme, had had their intended effect after all.

True to his word, Jack crouched beneath one of the ballroom windows until the party ended, never once taking his eyes off Rose. He clenched his fists each time Cal touched her. _Bastard. _But at least he didn't seem angry. Of course, Jack had no way of knowing what might happen once everyone else left. _That's why I'm not going anywhere until he does. _Eventually the guests began to trickle outside. Jack watched as they made their way to a line of waiting cars. Finally there was no-one left but Rose, her mother, and Cal. He held as breath as Ruth disappeared upstairs. The urge to burst through the window and scoop Rose into his arms and carry her away was almost unbearable. _Calm down. She's fine. You're taking her away tomorrow, remember? _Suddenly tomorrow seemed years away.

"Where are they going?" he muttered as Cal began following Rose upstairs. He grit his teeth and hurried over to her window. A moment later a light went on in her room. A knot formed in his stomach. She had closed the window but not the curtains. He could see some of what was going on but he couldn't hear it.

Cal watched Rose remove the Heart of the Ocean, a small smile on his face. She carefully placed the large diamond back in its case. "You seemed to have a good time tonight," he said. She nodded. "I did." _Because of Jack. _She sucked in her breath as Cal moved toward her and stiffiened when his hands landed on her shoulder. On the ground Jack was screaming silently for him to get the hell away from her.

Cal noticed her reaction, but it didn't bother him. It never occurred to him that repulsion was the driving force behind it. It had been months since she accepted his proposal yet he was still pursuing her. She baffled and infuriated him by spurning all of his physical advances. But things appeared to be changing. Or at least he hoped they were.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! As always, glad you all like the story. This chapter is going to be M and it won't be fun M, so just a heads-up. **

**This is a bit random, but since you don't login I can't ask any other way. Cheeringforcal, I'm just really curious about why you like him so much. I fully respect your opinion and right to like whatever character you want. I'm just interested in hearing your thoughts on him. **

"It's getting late," Rose said forcing out a yawn. "In fact I don't think I could stay awake another minute." Cal slid his hands from her shoulders to her upper arms. "I could," he said quietly. "I envy you," she said as she slipped out of his grasp. "I don't know how I managed to make it this long. I'm usually ready to drop by ten o'clock." She could feel his eyes on her back as she made her way over to the window. "Yes, I know," he said a hint of irritation in his voice.

_Don't make him angry again. _"I could stay awake a little longer," she said over her shoulder. "If you'd like."

Jack clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles popped. "Can't he see she doesn't want him touching her?" he muttered as Cal slipped an arm around Rose's waist. Her face was almost completely devoid of expression, but Jack could see the unhappiness in her eyes. "I'm here Rose. Just tell me to come up and I will."

_Jack. _He was all Rose could think about as Cal's hands slid up her stomach. She tried to pretend he was the one touching her, but it didn't work. There was just no mistaking Cal's hands for Jack's. When Jack touched her she felt his love. When Cal touched her all she felt was his sense of entitlement. Her breathing quickened as his hands reached her breasts. _He's never gone this far before,_ she thought frantically. "Have you seen the moon tonight?" she asked loudly. She leaned forward and pushed the window open. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Jack breathed a sigh of relief as Cal's hands dropped from Rose's body. Her voice floated down to him. He could tell by her tone she was nervous. He heard Cal's voice a moment later. "I suppose you could say that," he said sounding as though he didn't care in the least whether she did or not. "Well, I do," Rose said, turning around. Cal reached for her again, but she slipped past him. "Come back," Jack whispered. "Rose, I can't see you." Cal followed her out of sight a moment later. Jack didn't give himself time to think about what he was doing. He grabbed the rose trellis and began climbing.

He slowly raised his head enough to peek through the window. Cal's back was to him, but Jack could tell he was angry from the way he held his body. _If he hits her again..._

Rose struggled to keep her voice steady. "You know how I feel about this. You've known for a long time." Cal's eyes smoldered. "I thought perhaps your feelings might have changed," he said. "Clearly I was wrong." She touched his arm lightly. "You don't have to get upset about it," she said. His mouth curled into a smile that made her blood run cold. "That's true. After all, we'll be married in a few weeks." She smiled weakly and nodded. "Exactly," she said taking a step back. "It isn't that-" Her words morphed into a yelp of surprise as he grabbed her arms. Rose tried to get away by leaning back but all she managed to do was bring him closer. _Dammit! _

_Call for Jack. _

_No! _

She didn't have any delusions about her ability -or lack of ability-to handle Cal on her own. She knew if he didn't want to let go of her there wasn't much she could do about it. It wasn't pride that kept her from screaming for Jack. It was fear. Not for herself but for him. She had faith in Jack, but she knew Cal well enough to know any fight with him wouldn't be fair. The deck was always stacked in his favour in one way or another.

Cal tilted his head back. His gaze traveled slowly over her body, taking in the curves that didn't need a corset to make themselves known, the full breasts that bobbed gently up and down with each breath she took, the porcelain skin. He surveyed her body the way a jeweler inspects a diamond. He nodded in answer to a question only he heard and moved a hand to her back. She protested as he crushed her body against his but was silenced by his lips crashing into hers.

Rose couldn't move. She couldn't think. It was as if she were floating above her body watching everything that was going on. Jack squeezed the window sill and screamed silently. _Rose! _For a moment he was sure she heard him. Snapped out of her paralysis by Cal's attempt to part her lips with his tongue she tilted her head to the side. Her face wrinkled in disgust as the tip of his tongue slid across her cheek. She didn't care anymore if he was angry or not.

Jack couldn't take it anymore. He was just starting to pull himself through the window when he looked up and saw Rose twisting her head away from Cal. A fresh burst of hatred washed over him. _Get away from her! _He swung a leg over the window sill, careful not to make a sound. A quiet gasp from Rose made him freeze. He slowly raised his head and found himself staring up into her terror-filled eyes.

_Jack no! Go back! Now before he sees you!_

Jack shook his head. He wasn't going anywhere. _You need me! _

_I can handle this! You don't know what he can do to you!_

_I don't care!_

_Please Jack!_

He never got the chance to answer her. At that moment Cal grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "What are you looking at?" he hissed. Jack held his breath as Cal began to turn around. "Nothing!" Rose cried, grabbing his jaw. She moved his head so he was facing her again. "I wasn't looking at anything," she saidforcing herself to sound calm. He pursed his lips. "If I didn't know any better I'd say there was someone at your window." _I'd say you were looking at __**him**__._ _But that isn't possible, _he thought, holding in a smirk. _He's dead. _She laughed nervously. "Why would someone be at my window? _Who_ would be at my window? That's just absurd!" She tried to look past him without moving her head. It was worth feeling as though her eyes were about to pop out to see there was no sign of Jack. _He's safe. That's all that matters. _Her body relaxed slightly. Cal tightened his grip on her shoulders and pulled her into another kiss.

Jack was actually far from safe. He clung desperately to the trellis. Something had gone wrong when he leapt back out the window. He slipped, and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get a decent grip on the trellis. His hands kept slipping off. His feet dangled uselessly. _I should've stayed. I should've-_He never finished the thought because at that moment his hands slipped for the last time.

Fortunately for Jack the ground was still wet and soft from a recent rainstorm. He landed with a barely audible _thwmp. _"Rose..." he whispered hoarsely as he sank into blackness.

Rose's eyes widened as she felt Cal's tongue dart into her mouth. For a brief second she wondered if he could taste Jack's kisses. "Don't," she said quietly. She tried to move her head away again but was stopped by one of his hands on the back of her neck. His fingers dug into her skin. Cal smiled as he felt Rose's body begin to tremble. He ignored her feeble protest. If she really meant it she'd be doing more to fight him, wouldn't she? _And she's not fighting at all,_ he thought as he began backing her toward the bed.

Rose tried one last time to twist out of his grip but he interpreted her efforts as an invitation and pushed her onto her back. _No!_ she screamed silently as he came down on top of her. _Jack! _She squeezed her eyes shut and conjured his image in her mind. His soft blonde hair falling into those beautiful blue eyes...

"Look at me."

Rose's eyes snapped open. Cal straddled her, a look of triumph on his face. Her stomach twisted as she felt a hardness pressing into her legs. "You're mine," he said. "And don't you even think about forgetting that again." She nodded quickly. Her heart pounded in her chest. She bit her lip to keep from screaming as he began pulling her dress up. _You could hit him. He's distracted right now. He'd never see it coming. _She considered the idea for a moment before deciding it would just make things worse. She was far from strong enough to do more than slow him down for a few seconds.

Rose bit down until she tasted blood as he shoved one of his hands into her underwear. _Don't scream. Don't scream. Don't-_A cry of pain mingled with fear escaped her lips as two of his fingers forced their way into her. Cal leaned down until his face was just inches from hers. "You are mine," he said punctuating each word with a sharp thrust of his hand. "Say it," he commanded. "I-I'm yours," she stammered. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. _Jack. _She chanted his name silently.

Cal smiled and kissed her harshly. "Yes, you are." He let out a low moan and pushed his hand as far inside of her as he could. "You're mine, and it's time you learned that," he said, almost more to himself than to her. Rose didn't need to be told what he meant. "Don't." Her voice cracked. "Oh please don't." His mouth curled slightly. Her tears and sniveling were repulsive. She was almost ugly. "This isn't what I want to be looking at when we do this," he said calmly. Rose could only watch in stunned silence as he climbed off of her, straightened his clothes and left.

Jack opened his eyes and saw stars. It took a second to realize he was looking up at actual stars. _Where am I?_ He sat up slowly. His head and back ached. His clothes were damp. _What happened? _"Rose!" he cried jumping to his feet. Ignoring his protesting body he grabbed the trellis and began climbing.

When he crawled through the window it was into an empty room. The bed was rumpled, but there was no sign of either Rose or Cal. His throat tightened. Had he dragged her off somewhere? Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a light coming out of a door on his left. He crept over to it and pressed his ear against the wood. He heard someone gagging quietly. "Rose?" he whispered, pushing it open.

Rose was slumped over the sink. Her face was ashen and dripping with a mixture of sweat and water. Her curls were tangled and falling out of their pins. The water was running, but she seemed to have forgotten about it. Jack felt as if he'd been stabbed through the heart. "Rose!" She raised her head. "Jack," she said weakly. Shame flooded her being. He wasn't supposed to see her like this. She wasn't supposed to let herself get like this. "Oh Rose." Jack crossed the room in two steps. He fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. Her limp body sank against him. "What happened?" he asked. He held her in his lap, cradling her gently in his arms. "Did he hit you?"

Rose shook her head. "He-He-" was all she managed to say before sobs overtook her. Jack rocked back and forth slowly. "Sshh," he said. "You don't have to talk about it." She pressed her face against his chest. His shirt felt good against the developing rawness around her eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you," he said, his voice thick with guilt. He hugged her tighter. "I'm so sorry..."


	6. Chapter 6

Rose sat up slowly. The first thing she noticed was that she was still wearing her dress from the night before. It had been unbuttoned and her corset loosened, but otherwise all her clothing was still intact. Her shoes sat neatly side by side next to her bed. Her hair had been unpinned and brushed. The bathroom door was open and through it she could see her reflection in the mirror over the sink. The powder she wore to hide the bruise on her cheek had been washed off. _When did I do that?_ she wondered. She tried to lift her hand to her face but couldn't. Puzzled, she looked down and discovered her hand was tightly clasped in both of Jack's. His head rested on the edge of her bed. His body was slumped forward as though he'd started out on his knees and then slid down as he slept.

"Oh," she murmured as the memory of the night before set in. "I didn't do any of this. He did." She leaned back against the pillows. In the soft morning light the events of the previous night felt more like a nightmare than reality. _Except that it wasn't. It was real. _She shuddered as Cal's face loomed before her. It was as if it were still happening. She felt his hot breath on her face, his weight pressing into her middle. His words echoed in her ears. _"You are_ _mine." _Her stomach lurched as the memory of his hand invading her body washed over her. "I'm not!" she cried. "I'm not! I'm not!"

Jack's eyes flew open. He leapt onto the bed. "What's wrong?" She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "Rose, what's wrong?" he asked his voice thick with love and anxiety. When she didn't answer he gently put an arm around her shoulders. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said. She buried her face in his shirt collar. "Jack, please just hold me," she whispered. "Please just for a moment." He wrapped the other arm around her. "I'll hold you forever."

He might very well have had Rose's stomach not began to growl. Her cheeks reddened. She was glad he couldn't see her face. "Sounds like someone's hungry," he joked just as his own stomach gave a rumble of its own. "And I guess it's me," he added.

Rose raised her head. "I can get you some food."

"It's okay," he said. "I can wait."

"But you don't have to," she insisted. "I can have some brought up."

Jack opened his mouth to protest but she was already up and across the room before he could even get a word out. He watched, fascinated, as she rang for a servant. She grabbed a robe out of her wardrobe and pulled it on over her dress. "Do I look acceptable?" she asked, turning to him. He nodded. "You look beautiful." She smiled. "Thank you, but I was hoping she would believe I'm sick."

"Close your eyes a bit," he said. "Not quite squinting though." Rose did as he instructed. "Like this?" she asked. "Yeah," he said. "Now kind of let your body go limp—No, not like that, just move as though you're wading through maple syrup—Yeah, like that."

A moment later there was a soft knock on the door. Jack dove onto the floor and rolled under the bed. Holding his breath he listened as Rose asked someone named Mary to bring her breakfast up to her room.

"Tell my mother I'm not feeling well," she said. "I need to rest after the party last night." Mary nodded. "Yes, miss."

"You can come out now," Rose said when the door was safely closed and locked behind her. Jack slowly crawled out from under the bed. "Do you think she'll come see about you?" She gave him a puzzled look. "Who?"

"Your mother. You said you were sick so—"

"We don't have to worry about that," Rose said. "The most she'll do is send one of the servants up."

"That's…"_ Horrible,_ he wanted to say. But it didn't matter whether he said it or not. Rose could tell what he was thinking. It was written all over his face. "It's just not how things are done," she explained. "Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't." They gazed at each other in silence until another soft knock sent Jack scrambling back under the bed.

"Breakfast," Rose said, dropping onto the floor next to the bed. Jack crawled out. His eyes widened at the sight of the tray in front of him. "That's what you eat for breakfast?" he said. Rose avoided his eyes. "It's a bit lavish, I know," she said. "Does it bother you? I could-"

"It's fine," he said, touching her hand. "I just feel a bit underdressed," he added with a grin. She smiled and handed him a fork. "I think you're dressed perfectly."

After a few bites Jack wiped off the fork with a napkin and handed it back to her. "What are you doing?" she asked, pushing it back into his hand. "You're hungry too," he said. "I can't just sit here and eat all of this knowing that." He opened her hand and put the fork into it. "Jack, really-" He shook his head. "I'm not taking another bite until you do." He crossed his arms over his chest. She sighed. "Fine."

They had just finished halving the last bite when they were startled by a knock at the door. "She must have sent someone up," Rose whispered. Jack nodded and dove under the bed. Rose grabbed the tray and hopped onto the bed. She made sure her robe was closed-and the previous night's dress hidden-before softly calling "Yes?"

"Miss, are you sure you can't come down?" Mary called. "Mr. Hockley is downstairs asking about you."

Jack's hands curled into fists. He swore under his breath. Rose's heart began beating faster. "Mary, would you come in here please?"

"Yes, miss."

"Close the door."

"What's wrong, miss?" Mary asked. She laid a hand on Rose's forehead. "You're so pale." Rose smiled weakly. "I have a headache. I just need to rest," she said. She lowered her voice, "Can you tell me, what is Mr. Hockley's mood like today?"

Mary , who was more familar with Cal than she would have liked, knew exactly what Rose wanted to know. "He seemed cheerful," she said. She avoided letting her eyes rest on Rose's brusied cheek. "Not at all angry or unpleasant."

Rose nodded. "Tell him I'll try to come down soon."

"Yes, miss."

"And Mary?"

"Yes?"

"Don't let him come up here unless he sends you up to ask permission first."

"Yes, miss. Are you finished with this?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, thank you."

When he heard the door click shut behind her Jack crawled out of his hiding place. Rose was holding her head in her hands and murmuring to herself. He sat down next to her on the bed. "I won't let him hurt you again," he said. He touched her shoulder. "If I hadn't fallen out the window he wouldn'tve hurt you last night."

Rose raised her head. "I know we didn't plan it this way, but could we leave now?" Jack looked at the window. "Do you trust me enough to let me carry you down on my back?" She leaned forward and kissed him. "I trust you completely."

He nodded. "Okay. If you're sure."

"I am. I just need to change first."

Jack slowly paced her room. His eyes kept wandering over to the clock on the mantel. It had only been about five minutes since Rose disappeared into the bathroom, but it felt like hours had gone by. _What are you doing?_

_Running away with the woman I love. _

_Yeah, okay, but to where? Did you forget you don't have anywhere to go? You were supposed to spend today working on that._

_I'll figure somethin out. _

He froze as he heard yet another knock on the door.

"Miss?" Mary called. Silence. She knocked again, harder this time. "Miss? It's about Mr. Hockley. He wants to come up."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thanks for the reviews everyone! I really appreciate them. **

Rose whirled around as Jack burst into the bathroom. His sudden entrance made her forget her dress was still unbuttoned and the speed with which she turned her body caused it to fall from her shoulders, exposing the white silk camisole underneath. For a moment Jack could do nothing but stare, the need to warn her about Cal forgotten. He actually saw very little since the camisole ended just below the neckline of her dress, but to Jack even the hint of cleavage it revealed was overwhelming.

Rose just stood there, paralyzed by his gaze. The flicker of desire in his eyes made her stomach flutter wildly. She knew she shouldn't, but a part of her wished he would go on looking at her that way forever.

Another knock from Mary, louder and more insistent this time, brought Jack back to reality. "I—I'm sorry," he stammered, his cheeks burning. "I—I didn't mean to stare. I didn't even mean to come in here. It's just Mary's outside. She says Cal's asking to come up." The fear in her eyes when he said Cal's name only lasted a few seconds, but it was impossible to miss. "Will you help me button this?" she asked, doing her best to sound calm. He simply nodded in response, not trusting himself to speak. The last thing he wanted was for her to hear anger in his voice.

"Thank you," she said quickly, turning around. "It would have taken me ages without your help." He nodded again and smiled weakly. She hurried over to the mirror. "Can you see it?" she asked. He didn't need to be told what "it" was. "No," he said flatly. "I can't even tell it's there."

Mary's cries had become almost hysterical by the time Rose opened the door. "Are you alright miss?" she asked. "I'm fine," Rose said. "I was just dressing." Mary gave her a confused look. "By yourself miss?" Realizing her mistake Rose searched frantically for a believable explanation. "I just wanted to see what it would be like," was the best she could come up with. Mary nodded. Rose's "curiousness" was a popular topic of conversation among the servants, and this only confirmed what they said about her. "Of course miss. Mr. Hockley wants to know if—"

"If he can come up," Cal said as he rounded the corner. Both Mary and Rose were visibly startled by his sudden arrival. Mary recovered first. She gracefully stepped back as Cal stepped into her place in front of Rose. "Forgive me for coming up here uninvited," he said smoothly, lifting her hand to his lips. "I was too worried about you to wait any longer."

_I'll bet you were,_ Rose thought sarcastically, repulsion washing over her as Cal's lips touched her skin. "That wasn't necessary," she said, plastering a bright smile on her face. "I just needed a little time to rest after last night," she added, a slight edge coming into her voice.

Cal chose to ignore the implications of her comment. It was too early to be playing those sorts of game with her—especially in front of the help. "Will you be down for breakfast?' he asked. "I've already had my breakfast," she said. A look of disappointment crossed his face, but it was gone so fast Rose wasn't even sure it had been there at all. "Would it be took much to ask if I can take mine with you then?" He pressed his hand against hers. "I only came here this morning because I wanted to see you."

Rose's palms began to sweat. _Calm down! There has to be some way to get rid of him. _But in fact there wasn't. She had just said she wasn't ill which left her without an excuse as to why she couldn't spend the morning with him. And as much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, she was terrified of doing something to cause his anger to rain down on her head again—especially since the severity of his outbursts seemed to be escalating. Jack was only a few feet away, but that didn't make her want to be any less cautious. In fact, it only increased her desire to keep Cal happy and calm. _If he doesn't know Jack's alive,_ she told herself, _he won't know where to start looking when he realizes I'm gone. _

"I don't see any reason why not," she said, making sure there was an acceptable amount of eagerness in her tone. He smiled and took her by the elbow. "Bring something up for me," he said, motioning to Mary with his free hand. Rose's heart filled with dread as he turned her around and led her back into her room.

Jack watched through the cracked bathroom door. He knew there was a chance Cal would spot him, but he didn't care. It wasn't enough to hear what was going on in the other room. He had to see it as well. _If she looks scared for even a second…_

Rose's heart pounded in her chest as she sat down at the small tea table in the corner directly opposite the bathroom door. It was mostly a decoration piece. She hadn't actually used it as a place to eat since she was a young child. She resisted the urge to look around the room for a clue about Jack's whereabouts. _You'll just draw attention to him. Look straight ahead. Keep your eyes on Cal. _A moment later Mary returned with a tray much like the one she had brought up for Rose. She carefully set it down in front of him and then hurried from the room. Rose folded her hands in her lap and focused all her energy on bringing her heartbeat back down to its normal speed.

She heard herself respond to his attempts to engage in conversation, but she didn't actually know what either of them was saying. As she watched him eat she couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't eating even slower than usual on purpose. _Stop that! You're just being paranoid. _

"I hope you will feel up to accompanying me this afternoon," he said. "I did get the invitation for you. God knows _I_ don't care to spend three hours wandering through a maze of bad paintings." Rose lowered her eyes. "I don't know if I will," she said quietly. "I'm really not feeling like myself today."

Cal frowned. "Perhaps you should have a physician in to make sure whatever this is it isn't serious." He seriously doubted there was anything wrong with her—physically that is, but he didn't want to take any chances. Women, in his experience, had a way of allowing their emotions to get the better of them so much they actually did eventually make themselves sick. It was just one of the many reasons they couldn't be relied on to make a rational decision. Especially a girl like Rose. She was nothing but hysterical nerves as far as he could tell.

"Oh no, that's not necessary," she quickly assured him. "I should be fine by the afternoon. I just need a few hours of quiet. That's all."

His face brightened. "Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that."

_Doesn't he notice the way her smile never reaches her eyes?_ Jack thought. _Can't he see she's pretending? _Or was that he just didn't care? But how could he not? How could it be possible that he could ask her to marry him if he didn't even know her well enough to see when she was unhappy? Jack shook his head. It just didn't make sense. 

_You're just a sappy romantic. This is how the world really works. _

_But that doesn't make it right. _

Rose had hoped once the breakfast things had been cleared away Cal would leave, but he seemed to have other plans. She stood up and crossed over to the window. "I suppose you have a lot to do today," she said, hoping he would suddenly remember that yes, he did have a lot to do that day. Unfortunately, he interpreted her statement as being one of regret at the thought of his departure. "Nothing I can't put off," he said, laying his hands on her shoulders.

She fought the urge to wrench herself free of his touch. "Oh," she said. "Well, I wouldn't want you to have to inconvenience yourself on my account."

"If I were to inconvenience myself for anyone it would be you," he said, placing a kiss on her neck. He didn't see the look of disgust that crossed her face. Neither did Jack, but unlike Cal, he knew it was there. _Stop touching her! _he screamed silently. His hands balled into fists at his sides.

"That's sweet of you to say," she said, flashing him a quick smile over her shoulder. She turned to move past him, but he stopped her. "I have something for you," he said, reaching into his jacket's inner pocket. He pulled out a box and flipped it open.

Rose gasped as her eyes fell on a large emerald ring. It was breathtaking. _If only it were coming from someone else, _she thought. Cal smiled and slipped it on the middle finger of her right hand. "I knew you'd like it," he said, sounding pleased with himself.

Jack stifled a gasp of his own when her hand came into sight. A fresh wave of anger washed over him. _Is that supposed to make whatever he did to her last night okay? Is that how things work in his world? _He consoled himself with the thought that any gifts he ever gave Rose in the future wouldn't be the result of guilt. _Though whatever I give her it'll never compare to __**that.**_He was too caught up in his thoughts to notice Cal steering Rose toward the door by her elbow or the desperate glance she threw his way.

The dull _click_ of the door closing behind them brought him back to reality. "She's gone," he whispered, his heart filling with shame and dread.


	8. Chapter 8

Rose felt as though she were floating above her body. She saw herself being led downstairs. She felt Cal's hand pressing against the small of her back. She heard the low murmur of his voice and heard her own respond. But she wasn't really a part of any of it. It wasn't even happening to her. It was happening to someone else. She just happened to be able to see it.

_No it isn't! What's wrong with you? You have to get back up there! Jack's—_

Her breath caught in her throat. _Jack! _Her mind raced. She had to get away from Cal even if it was just for a second. She searched frantically for an excuse to leave. There had to be something she could say, some reason she could give—

"Rose, you look pale," her mother said, startling her out of her thoughts. Rose looked around. Without even realizing it she had somehow ended up on the couch next to the fireplace in the sitting room. Cal sat next to her, his hand on hers. Her mother stood at the window. "Are you letting your nerves make you ill again?"

Rose shook her head. "No, mother." Her voice was little more than a squeak. "That's what I thought," Cal said. He gave her a probing look. She _was_ pale. _Though how a woman with skin like hers can get any paler I don't know,_ he thought. Not that he minded Rose's fair complexion. He actually considered it to be one of her most attractive qualities. "Like snow," he often called it. "Or milk." He would touch her cheek lightly with his fingertips. "Pure. That's the word for it. Perfect." Rose would just smile and quickly move away—further proof of her nervous disposition. He didn't mind most of the time. Rose's reticence might be a bit frustrating at times, but he preferred it to the alternative. After all, if he'd wanted an easily accessible woman for a wife he'd be marrying his mistress. Of course if that reticence lingered on after she became his wife, well, that would be another matter entirely.

"I got a little overexcited last night," Rose said. "I just need some quiet. So much has happened lately." She pressed a hand to her forehead. Ruth gasped as she caught sight of the ring on her middle finger. Rose gave her a puzzled look. "What—Oh," she said, glancing at her hand. "It's stunning isn't it?' She tried to sound enthusiastic.

She must have succeeded because Cal looked pleased with himself. "I can't believe you didn't show her sooner," he chided gently. "But I should be accustomed to that by now. You so rarely show off anything I give you." Rose ducked her head. "You know how I hate to draw attention to myself." He smiled indulgently. "Yes, I know. I keep trying to find a way to change that." He placed a quick kiss on her head. "At least this one impressed you."

Meanwhile Jack was trying to decide if he should leave or wait for Rose to come back. "Or should I go after her?" he wondered. "But what if I do and she's fine? Well, as close to fine as she can be with him?" He chewed his lip. "What if I go running down there and it ends up making things worse for her?"

_But what if she needs you?_

His stomach knotted. If only there was a way he could get down there and see what was going on without anyone knowing he was there. But that would be impossible. The house was full of servants. One of them was bound to see him if Cal or Ruth didn't beat them to it. And then where would he be? More importantly, where would Rose be?

"No, that's just too risky," he decided. Of course, staying there even a second longer was a risk in and of itself. "I can't leave though. Maybe I should, but I can't. Not unless she goes with me."

Rose once again found herself being led away by Cal. This time it was to the garden outside. He'd decided she needed to get some fresh air, and so before she had a chance to protest they were already halfway to the door.

She held her breath as they passed beneath her window. She glanced up at it out of the corner of her eye. The curtains moved slightly, as if someone were trying to look through them without being seen. Her breathing quickened. _Jack._

_I have to get back to him,_ she thought frantically. _Oh God, what if someone finds him before I can? _

"Cal," she heard herself say. "Would you mind terribly if I went back upstairs for a moment?" He seemed to study her face for an eternity before he finally answered. "Of course not," he said. "Are you feeling ill again?"

_Say yes! Say you think you feel horrible and it might be contagious! _No, she couldn't say that. If she said something like that he'd have a doctor in before she could even finish getting the words out. And then he'd definitely never leave. "I just want to get a hat," she lied. "I don't want my face getting too much sun."

"Of course not," he said. "I'll walk you back inside."

"There's no need to trouble yourself. I'll only be a moment."

…..

"Jack!" Rose whispered loudly. "Jack, where are you?" Her heart sank. Had he left? _Well, what did you expect him to do? Wait around to see if he could get caught?_

Jack pushed the wardrobe door open a crack and peeked out. He'd jumped inside when the knob on Rose's door began to turn. "Rose!" She whirled around just in time to see him climbing out of the wardrobe. "You're still here!" She threw her arms around him. "Of course I'm still here," he said, hugging her back. "Rose, I'm not gonna leave you."

"I'm sorry, Jack!" She grabbed his face and kissed him. "I'm so sorry! I didn't want to go! I didn't know how to get away from him!"

"It's okay," he said soothingly. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No. He's trying to make up for last night." She held her hand up. "He even gave me this," she said, her voice thick with disgust.

"Yeah, I saw that already. Thought it had something to do with last night." Jack resisted the urge to ask what he'd done. Not only did he not want to upset her further, but part of him didn't want to know. It was bad enough knowing he'd hit her. "He thinks this just makes things okay," she said. She stared at her hand. "As if the whole thing never happened."

Jack covered the ring with his hand. "It doesn't matter what he thinks. I'm taking you away from him."

"I wish we could go now," she said softly.

"We can."

"No, we can't. He's outside waiting for me."

Jack swore under his breath. "Listen," he said. "We're leaving tonight. No matter what happens." She nodded. "Okay."

"Go back to him—" His mouth twisted as he said the words. "—and just pretend like everything's normal. I'll be here when you get back."

"You can't just stay here all day," she said. "Someone might find you."

"Don't worry about me," he said firmly. "I'll be fine." He pulled her closer. "But if he hurts you again I'll kill him."


	9. Chapter 9

Jack stood at the window and watched Cal and Rose leave. It only took a few seconds for them to walk out of the house and climb into the car, but to Jack it seemed more like a few hours. Every time Cal touched her he felt a fresh burst of anger. He clenched his fists so tightly he left deep marks in his palms. "You're taking her away," he said, breathing deeply. "You just have to get through this afternoon and then you'll take her so far away from here..."

When he was sure they were gone he opened the window and quickly climbed to the ground. He snuck around the house, praying that no-one would see him. It wasn't until he rounded the corner at the end of the street that he realized he'd been holding his breath.

"Calm down," he told himself again. "Just stay calm. No-one knows you were there. Hell, no-one but Rose even knows you're alive." He jammed his hands into his coat pockets and was surprised when his left hand collided with something cold and hard. "What the hell?" His jaw dropped as he opened his hand and saw Rose's engagement ring.

"Why...How..." His mind raced. Did she know it was missing? Had it somehow slipped off her finger? "When did she even put her hand in my pocket?" He went back over their last few minutes together. There was no way he would have noticed her slipping a hand into his pocket. Or even her slipping a ring off and leaving it behind. "She did this on purpose," he said. "She wanted me to find it." The large diamond sparkled in the early afternoon sun. _"You woulda gone straight to the bottom."_

Rose, meanwhile, was sitting stiffly next to Cal. Her right hand rested on her knee. Her left hand was tucked just under herleg. _Don't notice,_ she chanted to herself. _Don't ask about it. _Her breath caught in her throat when he looked over at her. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. She nodded quickly. "I'm fine." She tried to sound convincing. "I'm just excited about this afternoon." He gave her the smile equivalent of a pat on the head. "You and those finger paintings. What you see in them I'll never know."

It wasn't his lack of any real interest or taste in art that bothered her; it was the act that he always acted so damn smug about the subject. _As if he would know a Monet from a Van Gogh,_ she thought angrily. _As if he would know __**any**__ painting by __**any **__artist he didn't commission himself. _His smugness didn't end there. Within minutes of meeting him she'd learned that not only was he an expert on art but on everything else as well. In his own mind at least. At first she'd thought he was just trying to impress her, but now, over a year later, she knew that wasn't the case at all. He genuinely believed himself to be an expert on everything. _Or if he doesn't, _she thought, _he sure wants everyone else to think he is. _

It didn't make sense. But Rose was beyond caring if there was a real man buried underneath the smooth surface he showed the world, a man with thoughts and feelings more complex than violent lust and anger. She'd spent months believing there was a deeper side to him before finally giving up. _There just has to be something more,_ she'd told herself each time she'd tried to get him to talk to her, to _really_ talk to her. _This can't be all there is to him. _But she never thought that anymore. Even if there really was more to him, which she doubted, it was buried too deep to ever be found.

As she felt the condescension in his smile she was filled with an almost overwhelimg urge to hit him. Just once. That's all she wanted. Just one quick crack across his face. It would only be fair. Hadn't he hit her first? _I could do it too,_ she thought. Adrenaline surged through her body. _I could do it so fast he wouldn't even know what happened. _Her hand trembled slightly.

_Rose!_ Jack's voice filled her ears. _Don't do it. It won't be worth what he does once the shock wears off. _She nodded to herself. Jack was right, even if it was just her mind using his voice to get her to think rationally again.

Jack raced back to the house and flew up the trellis. He hauled himself into Rose's room, ignoring all the warnings his mind was screaming at him. He was more than aware of the risk he was taking by going back-especially with Rose not there, but he had to find out where they had gone. He had to get the ring back on her finger before Cal realized it was missing.

_Unless he already has,_ he thought. His throat tightened. "No," he said firmly. "Don't think like that. She's fine." He looked around the room. "There's gotta be a clue around here somewhere about where she is..."

He shoved down the guilt that rose up in him as he began rifling through the drawers of her vanity table. "I'm not invading her privacy because I don't respect it," he himself. "I'm not even really looking at anything. I'm just trying to keep her safe." Cal had said something about bad paintings so that meant they were probably going to some sort of art show. It didn't seem terribly farfetched to assume she might have at least a scrap of paper with information about it. At least, he hoped she did.

The sound of footsteps passing by made him jump back. His hand was on the handle of the bottom drawer on the lefthand side, and when he jumped the drawer jumped with him, spilling its contents all around his feet. "Shit!" he hissed. He dropped to his knees and began scooping everything back into the drawer. "Guess this was a sign," he said dryly. "There isn't a good enough reason to go through her stuff." His shoulders sagged. "I'll apologize to her later though."

He had almost finished cleaning up the mess when his hand fell on a black, leatherbound book. It was facing up and open to the middle. Neat cursive writing covered the pages he could see. _Don't you dare read it!_ he thought as he slowly picked it up. _You're not any better than him if you do. _But as he was about to flip it shut his eyes fell on something he hadn't expected to see.

His name.

"She wrote about me?" He read the his name in her handwriting over and over. It was the single greatest piece of art he had ever seen. Before he knew what he was doing his eyes had traveled to the top of the page and he was reading.

_April 13th, 1912_

_I've never felt this way. Never in my whole life have I been so...I don't even know how to describe it. I just feel so free! As though I could leap off the ground and never come back down again, just fly away! Hurtle off into the horizon and never look back. _

_I could have danced with Jack forever. Being in his arms felt so right. When he held me I felt things I never knew I could feel. I'm still tingling all over where he touched me-_

Jack blushed a deep scarlet. He knew he should stop there, but he flipped a few pages and began to read again. This time the entry was dated April 14th.

_I should have known he'd find out! _The words rang in his ears like screams. _How could I have been so stupid? Doesn't he always send that lackey, that personification of dullness after me? _"He sent someone after her?"Jack skimmed the rest of the page. Near the bottom it said, _His behavior this morning was inexcusable! I don't care what I did last night it doesn't give him the right to behave like a petulant child who can't control his emotions. _

_Of course, I can say that now. He's gone. The evidence of his outburst has been swept away, and only he, Trudy, and myself will ever know about it. I keep telling myself it won't happen again. He's never done anything like this before...at least nothing of this magnitude. _

Jack clutched the book so tightly his knuckles were white. "That son of a bitch," he spat. "No wonder she was so scared." Rose hadn't actually said what Cal had done, but Jack didn't need to know. He didn't care. "He'll never do it again. Rose, I promise he won't." He flipped ahead a few more pages until he came to an entry dated April 16th.

_Why didn't I go with him? I've been asking myself that since the ship went down. Why didn't I go with Jack? Molly told me not to think like this. She said Jack would want me to be strong, to go on without him, but how can I? How can I just keep living my life like always when I know I sent away the only man I'll ever love and there's nothing I can do to make it right? I love him. I don't care anymore if I'm not supposed to or whatever other absurd thing people might want to say. I love Jack Dawson with all of my being. _

"Oh Rose..." He felt as though his heart was breaking, but the next thing he read made his blood run cold.

_One moment I was alone and the next there he was. It all happened so fast there was no way I could have done anything to stop it. He grabbed me before I was even sure he was actually there..._

"You're crying about _him_!" Cal snarled. He dug his fingers into Rose's upper arms. "You're wasting tears on that filth!" Rose squeezed her eyes shut and let her head flop to the side as he shook her. _Just be quiet. If you're quiet he'll give up and go away like last time. _

"Look at me when I talk to you!"

Rose opened her eyes. The fury etched in his features sent chills down her spine. How could one person hold so much anger? Cal grabbed her jaw and roughly pulled her head up. "He's at the bottom of the ocean with the rest of the scum, and you'd do well not to forget that." He released her and took a step back. He eyed her with disgust. "You would be nothing without me!" he hissed. "You'd be the whore of a gutter rat like him!"

"I'd rather be his whore than your wife." Her voice was so soft that for a split second he wasn't sure she'd even spoken, but as her eyes locked on his he knew she had.

Rose could have sworn she saw stars when his hand collided with her face.

_Present day_

Jack felt sick. "If Jack were here it wouldn't have happened," he read aloud. "Or if I had been smart enough to go with him when I had the chance. So what if I'd be dead now? I would be with him."

He let the book slide out of his hands. "She'll never ever feel like that again." His voice was hard. "I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

"That's all very nice, but perhaps you could explain who you are and why the hell you're here."

Jack jumped to his feet and whirled around to find himself face to face with Mary. Her hands were folded across her chest. Her face was a stony mask. "Well?" she said, tapping her foot. "I'm waiting. Give me a reason why I shouldn't start screaming."

**AN: I'm pretty sure at some point I said this story would be quick and simple and there was indeed an end in sight, and when I said that I meant it. However, as is sometimes the case, things have taken a different path than I intended. The plan I originally had for this story has become something else entirely. So just wanted to say it's probably going to be much longer than I first meant for it to be. Hope no-one minds...**


	10. Chapter 10

Rose was too busy worrying about Jack to remember to worry about herself until it was too late. Until she already had one foot on the ground and had accepted Cal's offer to help her out of the car by holding out her left hand for him to take. His eyes narrowed immediately. For a moment neither of them said anything. Rose was sure her lungs had closed up in her chest. She watched, frozen, as he ran his thumb across the place on her finger where her engagement ring normally rested.

"Sweetpea, where is your ring?" There was an edge in his tone that only she could have heard. To anyone else it would have sounded like nothing more than a pleasant inquiry. "I left it at home," she said simply. She grabbed the first explanation that came to mind. "I was afraid to wear it. The diamond seems to be coming loose."

His tone became one of gentle—yet patronizing—chiding. "You should have told me before we left. I could have already had it fixed."

She lowered her eyes. "I'd already been such a bother this morning. I really didn't want to trouble you any further."

"You should know by now that I don't allow myself to be troubled by anything or anyone," he said, holding out his arm. She slipped her arm through his. "Because you're royalty, right?" He smiled and laid his hand over hers. _So she does listen,_ he thought. "That's right. As are you. And royalty always get what they want," he added.

"That's good to know," Rose said. _Because I want Jack, you smug bastard. _

Jack, meanwhile, was frantically searching for a way to explain his presence in Rose's room that didn't include the words "carry her off forever". "Well?" Mary demanded. "I've only got so much patience—and time."

_No, __**I**__ only have so much time,___he thought. "Where's Rose?"

"What?" Mary stared at him, confused. "Why do you want to know that?"

"It doesn't matter why I want to know," he said quickly. "Could you please just tell me?" He looked at her with pleading eyes. "I know you don't have any reason to. I know you don't know me and you probably don't care, but I _need_ to find her. Fast."

Mary tilted her head to the side. "Why? What can possibly be so urgent?"

"Look, it's a long story, and I'll be happy to explain it all to you later but right now I need to know where she is." His voice was thick with desperation. "Something really awful might happen if I don't get this back to her," he said, holding up the ring. Mary's jaw dropped. "Why do _you_ have that?" she gasped. "How did you get it?"

"Let's just say she gave it to me and she shouldn't have."

"She most definitely shouldn't have! What could she have been thinking? Doesn't she realize what he'll do when he sees it's missing?"

"I know what she was thinking, but it doesn't matter right now. Where is she?"

"You'll never be able to get that back on her hand without him seeing you. You have to know that."

"I—" Jack sighed in frustration. "I have to _try_! And if he sees me, well…" He threw his hands up. "I just don't give a damn anymore! And you know what, the way I feel right now I almost hope he does."

"You're crazy," Mary said, shaking her head.

"I'm in love."

….

Rose sighed and leaned back against the wall. "Finally. I thought he'd never let go of me." She eyed her empty left hand. "At least he believed me."

"You could've warned me you were gonna do that," said a voice close to her ear. Rose's heart leapt into her throat. "Jack!" she cried, spinning around. He held a hand up. "Sshh! I don't think everyone else'll be as excited to see me." She threw her arms around him, too overjoyed to care if anyone saw them. "How did you know where I was?"

He hesitated before answering. "Mary told me."

"Mary—"

"There's not time to explain," he said. He reached into his pocket. "I came to give this back to you." She pushed his hand away. "No. Take it."

"Rose, you can't just—If he sees—"

"He already did. I took care of it."

"How?" He touched her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She smiled and leaned her face into his hand. "You really risked getting caught just to find out where I was so you could make sure I was alright?"

"Of course I did." He pulled her into his arms and pressed his forehead to hers. "Rose, I love you. I can't—I don't know how to—there just aren't words for how much."

Rose began to tremble. "I love you too," she whispered. "I love you so much, Jack." She kissed him. "Don't ever leave me."

"I won't."

Her eyes lit up. "Let's go now," she said. "Let's just run away now while no-one's looking." Jack couldn't believe his ears. "Now? Do you mean it?" She nodded eagerly. "Yes! I don't want to wait another second. I shouldn't have even waited this long." He grinned and pulled her into another kiss. "Okay."

They were too absorbed in each other to notice Cal walk in.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: I want to thank you all for your patience. I hope this chapter doesn't disappointment. **

Cal's jaw dropped. His dark eyes filled with horror. _It can't be her. _But there was no mistaking those curls. He clenched his fists. _That little slut!_ _She can throw herself at him? She can throw herself at this dirty, __**scrawny**__**rat**__ and yet when __**I**__ show the slightest bit of interest_—Rose's tear-streaked face flashed before his eyes. Her quiet sobbing filled his ears. _**That's**__ how she reacts to me! _he thought disgustedly.

_Something isn't right,_ Jack thought, a knot forming in his stomach. _It's as if..._He opened his eyes_. And so it is. _

Rose felt Jack's arms stiffen around her. A moment later she realized he wasn't kissing her anymore. His lips were still pressed against hers; his tongue was still in her mouth. But he wasn't kissing her. She frowned and pulled away. "Jack, what's wr—" The look on his face silenced her. Furious hatred burned in his blue eyes. She tried to take a step back, but his grip on her was like iron. "Don't," he said softly, pulling her closer.

"Jack—"

"Do you trust me?"

She stared at him in disbelief. "What? I—yes, of course I trust you."

"Then please just do what I tell you to," he whispered. "Keep your eyes on me and start walking when I do." He didn't believe for a second Cal would just let them walk out, but that wasn't going to stop him from trying. After all, he hadn't done anything yet besides stare at them.

"Jack, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry, honey." He took a step back. She moved with him. "Don't be scared," he continued. "You've got nothin to be scared of." He locked eyes with Cal over her shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you."

The intensity of Jack's glare snapped Cal out of his thoughts. _That little bastard has the audacity to look __**me **__in the eye—_"You!" he hissed, pointing a finger at Jack. "It's _you!_"

Rose's heart leapt into her throat. She gasped, her grip on Jack tightening. "It's okay," he said. "I've got you." She pressed her hand against his chest, signaling for him to keep walking. He took another step back, moving her with him.

Cal's eyes swept over Jack and landed on Rose. "And _you_," he snarled, rushing toward them. His right hand was open, ready to grab her. "Don't you even think about it," Jack said. His voice was low, but it cut like a razor. "Don't you even take another step." Shocked, Cal paused. His hand was just inches from Rose's hair. "You say that as though there's something you can do to make me," he said, looking down his nose at Jack.

"And you say that as though I can't," Jack shot back. Rose began to tremble. He stroked her hair. "Don't worry. He's not gonna hurt you again."

Cal's face twisted into a sneer. "I'd like to see you try and stop me." In one quick motion he grabbed Rose's hair and began trying to pull her toward him. "No!" she screamed, twisting Jack's shirt in her hands. She dug her heels into the floor. Cal let out a howl of rage and reached for her dress with his other hand. Jack spun around and shoved Rose behind him. There was a sickening ripping sound as the hair Cal held in his fist was ripped from her head. She screamed again and clutched the side of her head in pain.

Cal's hand formed a fist as Jack turned to face him again. Jack's eyes widened. His reflexes kicked in and he ducked down just as Cal's fist was about to collide with his face. It passed harmlessly over his head. Cal stared at him for a second. "What the hell—" His words morphed into a yell of surprise as Jack punched him in the stomach. Before he could react Jack hit him again. He doubled over, gasping for air. A hollow pain shot through him. "You—"

"Jack stop!" Rose grabbed Jack's arm as he prepared to hit him again. His face was flushed. He was breathing heavily. "Rose, I—"

"Jack, please," she begged. "Please let's just go." She opened his fist and flattened her palm against his. "Hitting him again will only make things worse."

Jack kissed her knuckles. The urge to hit Cal again was overwhelming. His blood pounded in his ears. His heart was racing. _But she's right. _He lowered their hands and slipped his fingers through hers. He looked over at Cal, who was still doubled over clutching his stomach. "You ever come near her again and I'll kill you."

"Jack, don't." She began trying to pull him toward the back door. He refused to budge. "I mean it. I'll make you wish you never met her." Rose anxiously eyed the crowd that was forming. "Jack, we need to go." _Please don't say anything else,_ she added silently. _Please don't threaten him again. _

Cal slowly drew himself up to his full height. "_You're_ threatening _me_?" He laughed. "What, you got a few lucky shots in and now you think you can win against me? Is that it?" His gaze settled on Rose. His mouth curled slightly. "Or is it something—_someone_ else, I mean, filling your puny little head with these delusions of grandeur?" Rose threw her head back and glared at him defiantly. _Go ahead and say whatever you want_, she thought. _It won't touch me at all. _

Cal's mouth relaxed into a smirk as his eyes moved back to Jack. "I don't suppose you'll tell me how she was?" Jack lunged for him, his fist in the air. "You son of a—" Rose grabbed his arm with one hand and his shoulder with the other. "Jack, no!" she yelled. "That's what he wants." She pushed him back and was startled to feel him shaking. His chest heaved; his breathing was heavy and ragged. "I know how you feel," she said softly. "But it won't do any good. You'll just give him an excuse to have you arrested." _Or worse. _

Jack wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Okay." He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Let's go."

The crowd, Cal included, just stood there frozen and watched them go. It was only after the door swung shut behind them that someone spoke. Charles Cross stepped forward and, leaning in close to Cal's ear, said, "What exactly just happened?" Cal turned to face him so fast his neck popped. "What just happened?" he snarled. "I was assaulted by common street filth, that's what happened!" He grimaced and brushed his clothes off. Jack had only touched his shirt, but nevertheless the entire suit would have to be thrown out. Rose's words echoed in his head. _Oh sweetpea, I don't need an excuse to have him arrested—or you, for that matter. _


	12. Chapter 12

They only made it two steps before breaking into a run. Rose gripped Jack's hand so tightly her knuckles were white. Her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel herself teetering dangerously; the heels on her shoes were short and fat, but nonetheless they hadn't been designed with running and dodging in mind. She didn't even notice the shocked—and in some cases outraged—stares they were receiving. Neither of them did. Jack was focusing all of his energy on getting them _away_. He didn't care where they ended up—at least, he didn't care yet. All he knew was Rose was terrified, and since he couldn't fight the thing that was scaring her he would do everything he could to put as much distance as possible between her and it—or in this case, between her and _him. _

As they rounded yet another corner and almost crashed face-first into yet another group of unsuspecting pedestrians—which Jack yet again skillfully avoided—Rose felt her legs begin to give out. Her calf muscles ached. Stabbing pains shot through her feet. _Just keep going,_ she told herself. The rational part of her knew neither Cal nor anyone else had followed them, but the other part of her, the part that still wasn't sure any of it was real, the part that couldn't block out the terror and pain, wasn't so sure. She opened her mouth wide and sucked in as much air as she could. _Just hold onto Jack and keep going. _

Jack glanced over at her. His heart filled with guilt as his eyes swept over her flushed face and heaving chest. _So much for thinking about her. _They were going too fast to just stop, so he settled for gradually slowing their pace; a minute later they stopped completely. Rose's arms hung limply at her sides, her right hand still entwined with Jack's. She closed her eyes and leaned against the building next to them. The cool brick felt good against her cheek.

Jack leaned over her. "Are you okay?" She nodded and opened her eyes. "I'm fine," she said, breaking into a small smile. "Are _you_ okay?" He grinned and tossed his head, flinging his soft blonde hair into his eyes. "Of course," he said with mock bravado. "I'm a survivor." She laughed quietly and pulled him closer. Taking his other hand, she said, "You don't know how grateful for that I am." She looked up into his eyes. "You saved me Jack."

"Back there, you mean?" His gaze moved to the side of her head. It was impossible to tell Cal had ripped a small handful of hair from her head just minutes before, but that didn't matter. It had still happened. _That bastard still put his hands on her. _"I'm the reason you got hurt."

"You mean when he pulled my hair? Oh, Jack, that doesn't matter! That isn't even the worst thing he's ever done to me." As soon as the words left her mouth she knew she had made a mistake. His mouth thinned and his entire body tensed. His eyes changed from the beautiful blue she loved to a color more closely resembling black. "What is the worst thing he's done to you?" Jack said quietly. Rose's blood ran cold. She tried to speak but nothing came out. "I know he hit you," he continued. "And I wanna kill him with my bare hands just for that. Hell, I wanna kill him just for scaring you the way he has."

"Then the last thing you need," she said, a slight tremor in her voice, "is another reason to want to kill him."

Jack sighed heavily and dropped his head. Shame had replaced anger as his dominant emotion. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…That was wrong, I—"

"Ssshh…" Rose took his face in her hands. "Did you ask because you love me?" He nodded. "And because you want to protect me?" He nodded again. "Then there's nothing to be sorry about." She placed a light kiss on his lips. "I love you too. And you _did_ save me. Maybe you can't see it right now, but you will."

Meanwhile, across town there wasn't a servant in the house who didn't know something had happened, and in fact she doubted whether anyone within a ten-mile radius didn't know given the volume of Cal's voice at times, but no-one except her knew just what had happened. They all had their own theory, but none even came close to the truth.

Lisa rushed into the kitchen. "Did you hear?" she said excitedly. "Hear what?" Bonnie, the cook, asked. Mary sat on a stool eating a slice of bread and butter with sugar sprinkled on top. She was supposed to be cleaning Rose's bedroom, but given the current state of affairs was choosing to give herself a rest instead. _It isn't as though she's coming back,_ she reasoned. _At least not if that fellow has anything to say about it. _

"They're sending the police after Miss Rose!" Lisa cried. Bonnie gasped and dropped the potato she had been peeling. "Why?"

Mary's ears perked up. The police? She had never anticipated it would go that far. _They must care more about getting her back than they do about causing a scandal. Never thought I'd see the day. _

"Are they sayin she was carried off?" Bonnie continued. Lisa shook her head. "No. In fact, Mr. Hockley's saying she and some man robbed him and ran off together. He's sayin they planned this huge heist, but he caught them in the act and they got scared and ran. He's sayin he'll find 'em if it's the last thing he does."

The bite Mary swallowed tasted like sawdust. She knew that wasn't what had happened, but she doubted telling anyone would do any good.

**AN: Thanks for reviewing! I know this is a bit similar to what happened in my other story, but I promise the outcome will not be at all the same. It's just that given Cal's preferred method of getting rid of Jack in the movie, I can see him turning to the authorities before he does anything else. **


	13. Chapter 13

Leaning against Jack, their shoulders rubbing together each time either of them made the slightest movement, made Rose tingle with joy. She found it hard to believe she had ever been anywhere else or even a time when she didn't know Jack. She glanced over at him. The wind played with his hair, blowing it in his face. He didn't even bother trying to control it. Through the sandy blonde curtain she could see he was smiling. "What are you so happy about?" she teased, shoving him gently with her shoulder.

"It might have something to do with the beautiful woman next to me," he said. "Or it could just be the nice day." She looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering over their heads. "I guess you're seeing a different day than I am." He slid his arm around her waist. "Then it must be the beautiful woman next to me."

"I'll bet you say that to all the girls."

"Nope. I'm not sayin I never liked a woman before you, but I never felt about anyone the way I do about you. I love you," he said solemnly. "I can't imagine ever leaving you. It was easy to leave the others."

She raised an eyebrow. "Others?" _How many woman has he been with?_ A lump formed in her throat. What if he decided she didn't measure up to the others? What if—

"Two," he said, his voice shattering her anxious thoughts. "There was a girl back home, but…" He shook his head. "It wasn't…even if I hadn't left when I did it would never have been anything real." The lump in her throat shrank slightly. "And the other?" she said, hoping her voice didn't betray her feelings. "The other was a girl I met in Italy," he said. "I stopped in this little village in the north. It was actually just a few weeks before I met Fabrizo." His eyes darkened slightly. She pressed her cheek against his arm. She knew what was wrong even without him telling her. "You miss him a lot don't you?"

"Yeah." He sucked in his breath. He didn't even know what had happened to Fabrizo. His name hadn't been on the survivor list—none of his friends had been on the list—but a part of him insisted that didn't mean anything. He had survived hadn't he? Didn't that mean they could have too? It was long shot. It was possible. But deep down he didn't believe any of them had been able to make it out alive. He could feel her eyes on his face. He looked up at the sky, avoiding her gaze. "We should get inside," he said. "Where are we going to go?" she asked. He stood up and reached for her hand. "I don't know yet," he admitted. In the distance thunder rumbled ominously. " But I'm gonna figure it out quick."

…..

Cal faced the window, his hands clasped behind his back. Outside the sky was as black as his mood. Rain fell in sheets; he couldn't even see the garden anymore. If it hadn't been for the occasional flash of lightning he might have been able to convince himself it was no longer there. The rumble of thunder was almost deafening. He couldn't remember the last time he had witnessed such a severe storm. Had he been a more religious man he might have chosen to believe it was God's way to sympathizing. The natural order of things had been disrupted. Rose was in the arms of street trash when she should have been in his; it was no wonder the weather had suddenly taken such a bad turn.

He didn't bother to turn around as the door to his study opened. "Sir, the police are here," a maid said timidly. He grunted and made a waving gesture, which she interpreted as permission to show them in. A few seconds later two dripping uniformed officers trooped in, slamming the door behind them. They stood anxiously at the edge of the room awaiting further instructions.

Finally Cal turned around. "That's an imported rug you're tracking mud on," he said disgustedly. They stared down at their feet in horror. "Sir, we're so—"

"Yes, yes, I know," he said. "Just be quiet." Having two public servants grovel at his feet was strangely unappealing. _What else is he going to take from me? _"I assume you were told why I called you here?" They nodded. "Something about theft," one of them said. He had light brown hair and green eyes. Cal winced at his slight Southern accent. _They'll just let anyone in these days won't they? _ "Yes," he said. "I hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I…I just have no choice. I wanted to resolve this privately, for the sake of some of the people involved, but I now see that isn't possible." He paused for effect. The two officers leaned forward, eager to hear what he was going to say next. "It's a difficult thing to accept someone you care very deeply for had betrayed you," he continued. "But that is exactly what has happened."

"Who?" the second one blurted out.

Cal shot him an irritated look. Did he not have the decency to let a story unfold properly? "My fiancée," he said curtly. "The most important thing in the world to me. I was foolish enough to give her the combination to my personal safe; I wanted her to be able to use it if she needed to. What I ever anticipated was she would not only jilt me within a matter of days but that she would also steal the entire contents of the safe."

The officers exchanged glances. This was by far the most dramatic case they had ever been asked to assist on. Cal turned back to the window and smiled to himself. _I'll teach her to humiliate me. I'll teach both of them! _He didn't yet know how he would get the "stolen" money planted on them, but he was confident he would figure something out.

**AN: I apologize for the shortness. The next one will be longer and, I hope, very exciting. **


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I am so sorry it's taken so long for me to update! I moved back to school last weekend and since then it's just been one thing after another, but I've been going crazy not being able to get these chapters out of my head and onto the computer. This is going to be an M chapter, just an FYI. **

Rose was laughing as Jack led her into a small, shabby building. Her curls were plastered to her neck. Her dress was soaked through. Her shoes made a loud _squish_ sound when she walked. But she didn't care; in fact she barely even noticed. "What's so funny?" Jack asked a laugh of his own escaping.

"I don't know! I—I just—" she doubled over and clutched her stomach. "I—" She squeezed her eyes shut. _Just breathe. _

Jack laid a hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" She nodded and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "I'm more alright than I've ever been in my whole life." He gently took her hand. "Me too." They were on the verge of becoming hopelessly lost in each other's eyes when a loud _thump_ filled their ears. Jack pulled Rose closer and wrapped a protective am around her shoulders. She hugged him tightly and pressed her cheek against his chest. A sigh of relief escaped her throat as she realized the sound had come from a small wooden box being dropped onto the floor by a stern looking middle aged woman. She stood across the room, her arms folded across her ample chest, and eyed them with obvious disgust. Suddenly Jack was uncomfortably aware of the fact that not only were they both soaked but Rose's thin dress was clinging to her in ways that left nothing to the imagination. He drew himself up to his full height and cleared his throat. "Excuse me, ma'am," he said. "We were hoping to rent a room for the night."

The woman's mouth thinned. "Are you married?"

"Yes," Rose said quickly. Jack shot her a surprised glance. She gave his leg a light kick. _Just go with it!_

The woman's eyes drifted from Rose to Jack. _Sure you are. _She snorted quietly and picked up a pencil from the table in front of her. "You'll have to sign this," she said, pointing at a large open book with her head. Jack stepped forward and took the pencil. Her gaze burned into him as he carefully wrote _Leonard and Virginia Stephens. _Rose smiled slightly as she read the names. _How did he come up with those? _She knew exactly why he hadn't put their real ones, and it had more to do with a fear that Cal would find them than anything else. They hadn't discussed the possibility that Cal was looking for them, but that was only because neither of them had felt like stating the obvious. How could he not be? _Especially after the way Jack humiliated him today. _Rose's stomach twisted at the thought of what Cal would do to him if he found them.

He handed the pencil back to her and reached for Rose's waiting hand. "Anything else?"

"Well, there's a little thing called _money_."

"Oh." Jack shoved his free hand into his pocket. "Right" He pulled out a handful of damp, crumpled bills. "How much?" he asked, hoping it wasn't more than what he had.

She stared at Rose's dress, mentally calculating its cost. "Usually it's fifty cents a night, but for you it's a dollar." Rose's cheeks burned. Her hands clenched into fists and she lifted her chin. _How dare you! _she screamed silently. _How dare you presume to know anything about us! _Jack lightly ran his thumb along her palm. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye; his lips turned up slightly at the corners when she met his gaze. "I love you," he mouthed.

…

"I'm just gonna, uh, stand over here while you…" Jack made a circular motion with his hand. "You know."

"While I spin around?"

He hunched his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "While you…" He just couldn't seem to say the words. _While you get naked a few feet away from me. _His cheeks burned. _Shut up!_

_What? You've thought about it. Don't try and act like you haven't. Remember after the dance when you stayed up all night because—_

_Shut up!_

Rose drew her arms around herself and shivered. The temperature had plummeted once the storm began, and it was even colder in their room than it was outside. "You need to get out of those clothes," Jack said, no longer caring about the fact that she would be naked if she did. "You need to get into bed," he added. "Where it's warm." Her voice was small. "Alright."

Her heart began to pound as he turned to face the wall. _You don't have to do that,_ she thought. _You could—_

_What? He could what? Watch you? _

Rose shivered again but not from the cold. The thought of Jack watching her undress made her hair stand on end. She slowly untied the sash on the back of her dress and started on the buttons. She threw a quick glance over her shoulder as she stepped out of the dress and let it slide to the floor, forming a puddle of silk at her feet. Jack was starting intently at the wall, his hands still jammed into his pockets. His shoulders were tensed, as if he were bracing himself for something. "You aren't looking," she murmured disappointedly. Part of her had hoped he would be while another part had just assumed he would be. After all, wasn't that what men did? Wasn't that why her mother always told her to be so careful around them? And if Cal's behavior was anything to go by…

"What?" Jack asked, ignoring the urge to turn around.

"Nothing. It—it doesn't matter."

"Okay."

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you help me? Please?"

He slowly turned around. He swallowed a gasp. Rose's hair had begun to dry and it fell freely around her shoulders. A few small curls framed her face, making her eyes seem even greener. Her underclothes were white silk. _Wet white silk. _His eyes traveled over her body, taking in every curve, every bit of bare skin. His breath caught in his throat when his gazed landed on her breasts; he didn't know if it was just him or if they really were threatening to spill out of her camisole. Her nipples were perfectly round and visible in a way he had never allowed himself to think possible.

"Jack?" She took a step toward him. "Are you—"

"I'm fine," he said quickly. "I'll be alright. W—what do you need?"

"Could you unlace this for me?" she asked, turning around. "I can't quite reach it." He nodded dumbly. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely hold the laces. "I don't understand why they put you in these things," he muttered.

"Neither can I. Sometimes it hurts just to breathe."

And just like that his hands were steady again. "It does?" She nodded. "If it's laced tightly enough. I try not to let it get that tight, but it isn't really up to me."

"It is now," he said solemnly. "You don't ever have to wear one again if you don't want to. You don't ever have to do anything you don't want to again," he added. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Thank you." She didn't say it, but they both knew she was thanking him for more than unlacing her corset.

….

"You can't stay like that! It's freezing in here!"

Jack rubbed his hands together and blew on his fingertips. "I'll be fine." He gave a forced smile. It's not so bad."

"You're lying. I have three blankets on top of me, and I'm still cold."

"I'll go see if I can find you another one," he said, moving toward the door. "No!" She sat up, making sure to keep the blankets pulled up to her throat. "You don't have to do that," she said softly. "There's another way I could get warm." She couldn't believe she was actually saying the words out loud. "And so could you."

"Rose—" His words were lost in a gasp as she let go of the blankets covering her bare chest. His breathing quickened. "Rose, you can't," he whispered. A small smile spread across her face. "You said I never have to do anything I don't want to do again."

"I didn't mean this," he stammered. "I didn't mean…" _Why are you fighting her? Why aren't you naked already? _He closed his eyes. _I can't do that. I can't take advantage of her like that. She doesn't realize what she's saying. _

"I know exactly what I'm saying." He opened his eyes and saw that she had crawled forward; the blankets were now twisted around her hips. She gazed up at him, love and lust mingling in her eyes. "Come to bed Jack."

…

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Not yet," he said. He grabbed the blankets and pulled them back; in one quick movement he hopped onto the bed and pulled all three blankets up to his chin. "You can open your eyes now."

"I don't know why you made me close them in the first place. It isn't as though I'm not lying beside you," she teased. "What would it have mattered if I saw you undress?" He ducked his head. "You shouldn't be lying beside me. I shouldn't have done this." He lurched forward as though he were going to leap back out of the bed. She laid a hand on his arm. "It's too cold for you not to be out of those wet clothes and in bed. And didn't you say I was your wife?"

"You're the one who said that."

"You didn't deny it."

"What was I supposed to say? She isn't my wife, but I wish she was?" His jaw dropped. "I said that out loud, didn't I? I'm sorry. I—"

"Did you mean that?" She moved her hand from his arm to his face. "Do you really wish I was your wife?" He nodded slowly. "I dreamed you were. After we danced…after I finally fell asleep…" His hands began to shake again; the urge to touch her was almost overwhelming. She slowly stroked his cheek with her fingertips. "I dreamed about it too," she said. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. _This can't be happening,_ he thought. _This isn't real. When I open my eyes she won't be here anymore. _But when he opened them a moment later she was still there.

He held as breath as she took one of his hands in hers and brought it up to her lips. She ran her fingers over his palm, tracing the lines as she went. "What do you see?"

"I see you."

"And?"

She looked up from his hand. "You wouldn't hurt me."

"Never," he whispered hoarsely. He cupped her cheek. "Never."

"There are only two things I want, only two things I care about," she said, gazing into his eyes. "And only you can give them to me,"

"Just tell me what they are."

"Just one for now," she said, lying back against the pillows. His hand dropped from her face to her shoulder as she moved. She glanced down at it. "Lower."

"What?" he asked breathlessly.

"Put your hand lower, Jack. Touch me."

He gently slid his fingertips down her throat, stopping just before he reached her breasts. "Touch me," she said again, more insistently this time. "I don't deserve to," he whispered. "I shouldn't be—I'm not—" He let out a yelp of surprise as she grabbed his hands and placed them on her breasts. He looked from his hands to her and then back again. "Don't be afraid," she said. She squirmed slightly under his touch, causing a ripple of pleasure to shoot through both of them. He slid his hands down her breasts, pausing briefly to trace circles around her nipples with his thumbs. He grinned slightly as she gasped in response. "You told me to touch you," he murmured.

"I know." She moved into a sitting position. "But you aren't the only one who gets to touch." He was too busy staring at her exposed upper body to notice one of her hands slip under the blankets. "What d—" A low moan escaped his throat as her fingertips slowly moved up his thigh. She raised an eyebrow. "Such a reaction," she teased. "I haven't even done anything to you."

"You have," he said, reaching down and taking her hand in his. There was still a voice in the back of his mind telling him to stop, but he pushed it away. He would stop when _Rose's_ voice told him to.

Her eyes widened. He lowered her hand slowly, giving her time to pull away. He sucked in his breath as she wrapped her fingers around him. He watched, his heart pounding, as she pulled the blankets down. They had both long since forgotten the cold that had driven them into bed in the first place. She murmured something to herself, but he couldn't make out what it was. There was a slightly puzzled look in her eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…." She slid her thumb along his shaft. He groaned quietly. She smiled, as if pleased by his response. "You don't have to do this," he said. She looked into his eyes. "I know that. I want to do this. I know I shouldn't want it, but I do. And I want it to be with you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. "I don't want anyone else's hands on me ever again." Jack pressed his hands against her back, pulling her closer. He kissed her as he lowered her onto her back. "You don't have to worry about that," he whispered. She closed her eyes as his lips moved across her jaw, down her neck, and then over her breasts. She moaned softly and twisted her hands in his hair as his mouth closed over one of her nipples. "Jack…"

He stifled a moan of his own as he felt her squirm beneath him. Her legs parted slightly. He slipped a hand between them. He glanced up at her face; her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were dark. "Is it okay?" She answered by arching her hips and pushing herself into his hand.

…

"We can stop."

"No. Keep going, Jack."

…..

"Keep going,Jack. Keep going….Jack! Jack! Jack!"


	15. Chapter 15

"Jack…" Rose's voice was barely loud enough to be considered a whisper. She struggled to keep her eyes open. If she went to sleep it would all be over; when she woke up everything would be different, and for all she knew it would be as though it had never happened. "Jack."

"Hmm?" His eyes were already closed. He pressed himself closer to her, tightening his arm around her waist. His other arm was beneath her, his hand curled around her shoulder. Her face rested in the space between his shoulder and his neck. Her lips almost touched his collarbone. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'm okay…." Her eyes had never felt so heavy. She tried to speak again but only a yawn came out. "I don't want to sleep," she said finally. "You don't have anything to be afraid of," he said reassuringly. "I'm here."

"I know you are. That's not what I'm afraid of."

"What're you afraid of then?" No answer. "Rose?" He raised his head slightly and brushed a few stray curls away from her face. "Don't wanna sleep, huh?" He chuckled softly. "I love you," he said, brushing his lips across her hair. He let his eyes fall shut. "I love you so much…"

….

"What are you doing? Are you trying not to look at me?"

"That's one way to say it," Jack said, keeping his head down. He hoped she couldn't see his burning cheeks. "Why?" He answered by pulling the sheets up to his chin and pressing his forehead to his knees. "Jack?" Rose leaned down, one hand on the edge of the bed, the other clutching her still damp clothes.

"It's impolite to stare," he said. His voice was slightly muffled. "You should know that."

"What?" She drew back in surprise.

"That's why I'm not looking at you."

"You're afraid you'll stare?"

"I _know_ I will."

She let out a short laugh. "I think it would take more than staring from you to upset me," she said. Her tone became teasing. "And what about all those women you drew? I'm sure you didn't stare at them."

"They're like landscapes compared to you."

She forced herself not to blush. If the words had come from anyone else she wouldn't have given them a second thought. She would have dismissed them completely, as she always did whenever a man commented on her beauty. The meaning was always the same even if the words changed: "You're a beautiful thing." _Thing_. Not a person. A thing, a doll, a perfect little doll in her perfect dress with her hair out of her face and her gloved hands folded in her lap, her eyes downcast so as to not accidentally look him full in the face. Most of the time men talked about her rather than to her. They spoke as if she wasn't even there. Cal had been no exception.

But when Jack spoke he looked directly at her, and his eyes met hers. When he called her beautiful she knew he wasn't describing her the way he would describe a chair or a piece of jewelry. She wasn't an accessory to him; she wasn't something he could wear on his arm while smugly smiling at all the men casting him envious glances. His words echoed in her mind. _"I see you."_

"Look at me, Jack."

He raised his head. She stood before him, hands on her hips, dress and underclothes at her feet, seemingly forgotten. "What are you doing?"

"See?" she said, a smile spreading across her face. "You survived."

"I did," he said, returning the smile.

"And so did I."

…..

It seemed to Rose that the world had changed since she last saw it. The streets were still wet from the storm the night before, and the water made them look smooth and slick. _As if you could skate down them in your shoes,_ she thought. She breathed deeply and marveled at how much easier it was without a corset on. Her body had never felt so free. The air was clean and cool. A breeze played with her curls. She hadn't even considered pinning them up. Jack hadn't said so, but she could tell he liked them better down. And so did she.

Jack took her hand as they began walking up the street. He smiled at the way their fingers intertwined perfectly, as if their hands had been made to go together. "What are you so happy about?" Rose asked. "Beautiful day," he said, pointing at the sky. "And this time it really is," he added before she could reply. "And then there's you." She sighed happily and leaned against him. "And there's you," she said.

"What are we going to do next?" she asked a few minutes later. The question nearly stopped Jack in his tracks. Just what were they going to do next? He'd only thought as far ahead as getting her away from Cal and out of the rain. Planning ahead wasn't something he normally did; most of the time he didn't even know where he was going next. It all depended on how much money he had or which train was easiest to sneak onto. "What do you want to do?" he said finally.

"What do _I_ want to do?"

"Yeah." He swung their clasped hands. "Where do you want us to wind up next?" Her face was an anxious mask. "We could stay here," he said quickly. "We don't have to leave. I don't mind."

"No, I want to leave," she said. "I just—I've just never gotten to make a decision like this. Yesterday I didn't even get to have a say in who I was going to marry, and today you're telling me I can decide the rest of our lives."

_Our. She said our. _Jack swallowed the joyful yell that rose in his throat. "Yeah, that's pretty much it," he said. "I'd decide everything for you, but I just don't feel up to it today," he joked. She chuckled softly. "I've had quite enough of that, thank you." Her voice became brisk. "When can we leave?"

After a quick breakfast of rolls and coffee—which Rose swallowed in one bite and spent the rest of the time pretending not to be impatiently waiting for Jack to finish—they hitched a ride out of the city. "If he's looking for us," Jack explained, "it would be pretty easy to find us if we got on a train. At least, it would be for a guy like that."

….

"He wouldn't stay with her," Cal said, barely bothering to mask the annoyance in his voice. "He doesn't have any reason to."

"He didn't have any reason to leave with her in the first place," Ruth said smoothly. "In fact, I must confess I still don't quite understand this story of yours."

"That's because it doesn't make sense for her to be acting this way." Cal moved over to the window. He crossed his arms behind his back and glared at the sunny day. "But you know how easily swayed she is. She falls under the influence of people and ideas so easily—that's why it's so dangerous for her to read as much as she does."

_He isn't wrong,_ Ruth thought. It seemed as though Rose had always been drawn to whatever was most dangerous, and no matter how many times she warned her, no matter how many times she told her how precarious her position as a woman was—even before they had teetered on the brink of financial ruin—she never listened. "Oh mother," she would say. She would sigh and place her chin in her hands. "You just don't understand."

"Will that be all, ma'am?" Mary asked. Ruth nodded and waved her away. "Go," she said curtly. "Yes, ma'am." As she hurried from the room Mary couldn't help but notice Cal didn't throw a glance her way. He didn't even seem to notice she had been there at all. _It isn't all an act then, _she thought, amazed. _He must actually care for her. _But had she been able to see inside his head she would have known it wasn't concern for Rose's wellbeing or a desire to see her again that he was preoccupied with.


	16. Chapter 16

The women around her were talking in their usual polite tones about their usual polite topics, but Ruth didn't hear any of it. It had been over a month since Rose's disappearance, and despite her best efforts to keep up the appearance that everything was "just fine" the cracks were beginning to show. She hadn't touched her tea, and it had been so long since she'd participated in the conversation a few of the other women had forgotten she was even there.

"I can't believe she came," whispered Sarah Sutherland, one of the women who were still aware of her presence. Eleanor Stebbins covered her hand with her mouth. Leaning slightly toward Sarah, she replied, "Neither can I. With what's happened to her daughter, I'm surprised she's going out at all."

"What do you mean? She's just been sent away because of her lungs," Matilda Cushman whispered. "Is that what you were told?" Sarah said. "What do you mean?" Matilda asked, giving them both confused looks. "Dear, her daughter—" Eleanor lowered her voice as much as she could and still be heard, "Her daughter ran away." Matilda's eyes widened; she stifled a gasp. Sarah nodded. "She did. With a _man._"

"With whom?"

"No-one knows," Eleanor said. "I heard he was some drifter, someone she met in Europe," Sarah said. Matilda couldn't believe her ears. _With a man? __**Rose**__? _"But why? She was engaged to—"

Eleanor shook her head. Sarah clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "That doesn't seem to have mattered," she said.

Matilda's mind was still teeming with questions long after she left. She kept trying to forget what Sarah and Eleanor had said, but it was impossible. Why would she do such a thing? What could she have been thinking? "She'll regret it," Sarah had said. "If she isn't already," Eleanor added. She had nodded in agreement. Yes, of course Rose would regret running away; how could she not? And yet…_What if she isn't? _Matilda furtively looked around; none of the people at dinner seemed to have heard her thought. _What if she's happy? _

Had Rose been in the position to confirm or deny Matilda's musing she would have answered, "I'm happier than I ever knew I could be," but she wasn't. However, she was in the position to answer Jack's question about her happiness, and that's exactly what she said before she threw her arms around him. "How can you even ask?"

"How can I know if I don't ask?" he teased. "You would see it," she said solemnly. Nodding, he cupped her cheek. She smiled, loving the way his hand felt. "I'd see you," he said. "I'll always see you."

Her heart began to beat faster. She fought the urge to kiss him. There were too many people around them, too many respectable matrons and too many small town businessmen bustling by. They would all stop and stare, wondering what kind of woman grabbed a man by the front of his shirt and kissed him until her lungs were about to burst. _Not a very ladylike one, _she thought, a laugh escaping.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing." She smiled up at him. "Weren't we on our way somewhere?"

In the month since their great escape they had gone through three towns before finding one they liked. Rose hadn't wanted to stay in Pennsylvania, but then Jack pointed out it might be better to hide in plain sight for awhile. "Not that's he's coming anywhere near you," he added. And so they settled in Monroe, chosen as much for the lake on the edge of town as for its size. It was what Jack described as a "big small town", a description he stuck to no matter how much Rose laughed at him. "But that doesn't make any sense," she said. "If it isn't big and it isn't small, isn't it a medium?" He shook his head. "That doesn't make sense either. Who ever heard of a medium town?"

"Who ever heard of a first class girl marrying a wandering artist?"

He grinned happily. "Got me there," he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. They had stayed in the second town long enough to secure a marriage license and find a judge willing to marry them, but as soon as the ceremony was over they were standing on the side of the road, thumbs out. A part of Jack wondered if he shouldn't be insisting they find a more reliable-and safer-way to travel, but one look at Rose's face silenced his doubts. She faced the road stretching out ahead, her curls flying back in the wind, a look of serene joy in her eyes, her lips curled up in a small smile. There was a lightness in her body he hadn't seen before, not even when they danced together. _We''ll do this a few more times,_ he decided.

And now, over a month later, they were walking hand in hand along the edge of the lake. "So are _you_ happy?" Rose asked.

"How can you even ask?"

"You asked me," she pointed out. "Not ten minutes ago, I might add." Chuckling, he pulled her closer. She giggled and let herself crash into him. "Hey, whatcha trying to do, push me into the lake?" he said. A mischevious glint came into her eyes. "Maybe..." She pressed her hands against his chest. "Rose," he said, a hint of nervousness creeping into his voice. "You wouldn't." She took a step forward, forcing him to take a step back. "Maybe," she said again. "Rose, I mean it. Don't." He took hold of her arms. "I'll pull you in with me."

"You wouldn't!"

"Sure about that?"

They stared at each other for a moment. "I wouldn't have pushed you in," she said finally. "And I wouldn't have pulled you in," he said. He slipped his hands up to her shoulders. With a quick twist of her body she slipped out of his grasp. She turned and broke into a run. "Where're you going?" he asked, puzzled."Come find out!" she called over her shoulder. He shook his head. "It's too hot!"

"Jack!"

"No!" He laughed. "Nuh-uh."

"Jack, come on!"

"Fine!"

He chased her around the lake. Every few seconds she would toss a glance over her shoulder. "I thought you would be able to run faster than that," she teased. "I told you it's too hot!" he called back.

"You-" A sickening _crack_ filled Rose's ears. Her words morphed into a yelp of surprise and pain. Suddenly the ground was flying at her. She pressed the back of her hands to her chest, palms flat, just a split second before she crashed into the ground.

"Rose!" Jack threw himself down next to her. Her right leg was bent at an unnatural angle. She was breathing heavily. Her left arm was bleeding. Tears glistened in her eyes. "Oh, honey, are you okay?" He laid a hand on her shoulder. She nodded. He reached under her arms and gently pulled her into a sitting position. "Let's take a look at that leg," he said. She winced as he lightly ran a finger over her already swollen ankle. "Sorry." There was a dark bruise starting on her foot that ran all the way up her stood up. "Let's get you back home."

"Okay," she said softly. She held out her arms as he bent down. He lifted her up, being careful not to bump her injured leg. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "It will ruin your shirt."

"What will?"

"The blood. My leg's bleeding."

He glanced down; there was already a large stain forming on the front of his shirt. "Doesn't matter. It's just a shirt."

"You only have three."

"Yeah well, I only have one of you." He kissed her. "And I'd rather have that so let's go fix that leg."

**AN: Not a lot happened in this one, I know, but this kind of a "setting stuff up chapter". It laid the groundwork for what's going to happen next. **


	17. Chapter 17

"Does that—" Rose winced as Jack's thumb lightly pressed against her calf muscle. "Hurt," he finished softly. "Does it all hurt?" She nodded. "It all hurts," she said with a sigh. "That's what I thought," he said. Since her fall the day before her ankle had ballooned to three times its normal size; her calf was swollen and covered by a black bruise. She could barely move her foot. Jack had insisted she go straight to bed, making sure she kept her leg elevated and iced. But despite his best efforts her injury appeared to have gotten worse rather than better.

Jack stared at her leg, his eyes narrowed. It wasn't broken, he was sure of that, but it was definitely more than a simple sprain. Rose watched, confused, as first he nodded to himself and then he hopped off the bed and disappeared into the other room. Her confusion increased when he came back carrying a sheet. "What are you going to do with that?"

He sat down. "Wrap your leg." He gently lifted her foot and placed it in his lap. "What?" Her brow knit. "With a sheet?" He grinned. "With pieces of the sheet." He began to rip the sheet into strips. "See?"

"I see."

His hands moved deftly, his fingers barely touching her skin as first he wrapped the strips around her foot, then her ankle, and finally around her lower leg. "Doesn't hurt, does it?" he asked, glancing up at her face. "No," she said quietly, her lips curling into a smile. "It doesn't hurt at all."

They ate dinner in bed that night—French toast and bacon. It was the only thing Jack could make without having to run out for more ingredients. "Breakfast at night?" Rose said, raising an eyebrow as he handed her a plate. "Ah, but this is no mere breakfast," he said in an exaggerated French accent. "This is the toast of France!" She laughed. "Is that right? And what is this?" she asked, pointing at the bacon. "That?" he said. "Oh, that is a delicacy. Go on. You try it."

Rose ate slowly, cutting her food into small bites. Jack watched her out of the corner of his eye. "Is it—"

"It's wonderful!" she said, her eyes lighting up.

He smiled. "Do you really think so?"

"O yes. Jack, I've never had anything like it before."

"You haven't?" There was surprise in his voice. "I didn't think there was anything you hadn't had."

"Well, there's breakfast at night."

He chuckled. "Not anymore."

It was another three days before Rose saw any sign that her leg was healing, but Jack noticed a difference the next morning when he unwrapped it. The bruise wasn't any better, but as he ran his fingers over her ankle and then her calf, he felt a difference in the swelling. It was going down. It may not have been going down as quickly as he wanted it to, but at least it was going down.

"How did you learn how to do that?" she asked as he rewrapped her leg. "My mom did it for me when I was a kid," he said. "I messed my ankles up pretty bad a few times." He smiled slightly. "I didn't always watch where I was going. I had this habit of getting a foot caught in a hole while running." He placed a quick kiss on her ankle. "There. All done."

…

"You don't have to."

"Yes, I do," Rose said. "I can't stay in bed forever." Jack placed a steadying hand on her waist. "I'll stay there with you," he said.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. How would we pay the rent?" _The same way we have been,_ she thought as the words left her mouth. The first thing they did after getting married was sell her engagement ring. They only got a few thousand dollars, nothing even approaching its actual value, but it was more money than Jack had ever seen. It was enough to keep them lodged, clothed, and fed for a few months, something which Jack had quickly become grateful for after Rose's injury ended his search for a job.

"Rose honey, you really don't have to try walking yet," he said. "The swelling isn't even gone yet."

"I know." She took a tentative step, putting her good foot forward. "But what if I forget how to walk?"

"I don't think that'll happen." He took hold of her elbow. "I'm pretty sure it's something you don't forget." He tightened his grip as she winced. "I'm okay," she said, breathing quickly. "Don't worry Jack."

He helped her walk from the bedroom to the kitchen and sit down at the table. "See, that wasn't so bad," she said with a smile. He sat down next to her. "I guess it wasn't." He reached across the table and took her hand. "Tell me another story," she said, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles. A slow grin spread across his face. "What kinda story?"

"Tell me more about your childhood. What were you like?"

"Aww, you don't really wanna know that."

"I do! Tell me."

"Well…." She leaned forward, eager to hear the rest. "I started drawing when I was…."

_The next afternoon _

Matilda stepped off the train and into the smallest station she had ever seen. Compared to the station she had left from in Philadelphia it was deserted. And yet…_It's nice,_ she thought. _Quiet. No crowd. _Not that she had ever actually experienced walking through a crowd. She smiled as she stepped out into the street. If her mother, worried that Rose's flight would influence her, felt the need to send her to her aunt's estate in the country, she was going to be happy about it. "After all," she said to herself. "It isn't so bad here." She caught the eyes of a handsome young blonde man. He was sitting on the steps on an apartment building, an artist's portfolio balanced on his knees.


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: I'm so sorry it's taken this long to update! But now that I only have two continuing stories updates will come a lot faster. I've also hit the slightly less busy point in the semester. **

"Is your drawing going well?" Rose limped down the front steps. "See anyone interesting?" Jack jumped to his feet. He held out his arms. "Careful," he cautioned. "You might fall again." When she was settled on the step next to him, he said, "I thought you were resting."

"I was, but…"

"But what?" He closed his portfolio and set it aside. "You okay?" He eyed her with concern. "Is it your—"

"I'm fine," she said quickly. "I would just rather be down here with you." Jack smiled. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I'd rather you be down here with me too." She laid her head on his shoulder. They sat in silence for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts. Jack pressed his lips to the top of Rose's head. "It doesn't seem real, does it?" She twisted around so she was looking into his face. "How did you know what I was thinking?" He brushed his lips across hers. "I saw it."

She looped an arm around his neck. Pulling him closer she murmured, "Is there anything you don't see?"

"I don't see those people across the street looking away anytime soon."

She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder. A handful of black-clad women were staring at them. One held a handkerchief over her mouth, as if she were trying to hide the movement of her lips. She was leaning toward a short woman with silver hair who had slits for eyes. The leader of the group appeared to be a tall woman near the center of the group. Her bony hands were clasped in front of her chest. She wore a look of utter disgust.

"We may as well give them something interesting to watch," Rose murmured. Before Jack could reply she hoisted herself onto his lap. She twisted her fingers in his hair. "Rose, what're you-" She cut him off with a kiss.

The women across the street let out a collective gasp. "Well, I never!" one of them said, just loud enough for Rose to hear. "It's a disgrace the way some girls behave." This time it was the leader who spoke. "It's an absolute disgrace." Rose just smiled and deepened the kiss. _It would be a disgrace to pretend I don't want him. _

Jack took hold of her arms. Gently, he pushed her back. "Rose, honey, we can't." The look in her eyes sent a shiver down his spine. "Not out here anyway," he added. She pulled him in for another kiss. They were both out of breath when it ended. "Carry me upstairs?" she whispered.

The door was still swinging shut when Rose pulled Jack's shirt off. Her legs were wrapped around his hips. Her hands slid across his back. He stumbled forward, trying desperately to reach the bed before she could do anything else.

Everything became blurry after that. Rose felt Jack's lips on her neck, felt him nip gently at her throat. She felt his hair slide between her fingers. "Jack," she whispered. Somehow, despite their shaking hands, they managed to finish undressing each other.

"You're so beautiful." It seemed wrong to touch her. She couldn't be asking him to. That couldn't be her voice now becoming softly insistent. It couldn't be her hands-"Rose!"

…

"You awake?"

Rose mumbled something Jack couldn't understand. She hugged him tighter, pressing her face into his neck. "Sounds like a 'no' to me," he said, smiling to himself. He kissed the top of her head. Her hair smelled like lavender. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "I love you."

...

Una Hall carefully placed her teacup on its saucer. "I tell you, Celia I had never seen anything like it." She spoke with the perfect balance of hushed, demure shock and upper-class matronly disapproval. "There isn't anything girls these days won't do. Of course," she added, "this wasn't a girl of _quality_."

Celia Lane shook her head. With a sad cluck of her tongue she said, "What can you expect from people like that? It isn't as if they know any better."

"They don't _want_ to know any better. Do you honestly think they have to live that way?" She continued on before Celia had a chance to reply. "They could do better if only they tried, but people like that are so opposed to bettering themselves. It's terrible, really.I mean, when you think of everything we try to do for them-"

"I don't think it's such an awful thing."

Una turned her steely eyes on the young woman next to her. Matilda shrank in her seat, her cheeks already a deep scarlet. "I mean it doesn't as if..." she said haltingly. "What I meant to say is..." She twisted her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry, Aunt Una."

Una turned back to Celia. "It's just like I was telling you before. Girls these days will do and say anything. It's the mixing of those sort of people with our sort. The schools are givingso many places to children who simply should not be there, children who would be better off accepting their lot in life."

"Yes," Matilda said tentatively. "But didn't you just say the lower classes could better themselves?" One look from Una silenced her for the rest of the afternoon. "What I meant was they could better themselves within their own station. No-one said anything about forgetting their place."Matilda just nodded. She stared at her hands. Her lily white, perfect hands. _I wonder what Rose is doing right now. _She and Rose had never been friends, not really, but for some reason she couldn't stop thinking about her. She kept trying to imagine what her life was like. _She probably doesn't have anyone telling her to be quiet or that she isn't intelligent enough to understand the conversation. _

"Of course," Una said, "hair like that just couldn't be natural. Nature simply does not create a red like that."

Matilda raised her head slightly. _Red hair? So red it doesn't seem possible? It couldn't be...could it?_


	19. Chapter 19

Squinting, Rose tilted her head back. She held one hand over her eyes as a shield. "I don't see it," she said. "Are you sure that's what it is?" Jack held up hand and motioned to the spot next to him. "C'mere and I'll show you." She dropped to her knees. The thick flannel blanket was warm from the sun. Jack looked up at her, a smile playing about his lips. "Won't find any clouds here," he said. "Gotta look at the sky." She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his nose. "I can't find the elephant anyway." He chuckled quietly. "They're elusive animals."

She stretched out next to him. "But I do see a horse."

"Where?"

She pointed at the sky. "There. See it?"

"Yeah, I see it." He slipped his hand into hers. "Still want to ride horses on the beach?" Her eyes lit up. "Do you really mean it? Can we go?"

"Of course we can go. We said we would, didn't we?" He took on an exaggerated haughty tone. "How else can I teach you to ride like a man?" Laughing, she said, "And chew tobacco like a man."

"I could show you that right now." His answer caught her off guard. "What?" He nodded. "Come on. I'll show you how." He stood up. She stared up at him. "Jack, I couldn't—" He reached for her hand. "You said that about spitting like a man." He helped her to her feet. She sucked in her breath as her weight settled on her injured leg. The swelling was gone, but the bruise had barely begun to fade. "You okay?" he asked, steadying her. "I'm fine." She smiled. "It's just still a bit sore."

Jack insisted they walk slowly. Rose got in a half-hearted protest before quickly giving up. What was the point? They both knew her leg hurt. With a sigh she let herself sink against Jack. "Well, I love you too," he said, putting an arm around her waist. "I love you, Jack." She tilted her head up. His blue eyes were all she could see. "I love you so much." Jack tried to reply but couldn't. The words caught in his throat. It was all so overwhelming. Here was this beautiful, wonderful girl—_Woman,_ he corrected himself. _The most amazingly, astoundingly, wonderful woman that I've ever known. And she loves __**me**__. And she married __**me. **_He pulled her closer and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

…

"Okay, so you cut it like this." Jack cut off a hunk of tobacco with his pocketknife. "See?" Rose nodded. "I see. Can I try?"

"Sure."

She gingerly held the knife in one hand and the tobacco in the other. "So I just…Like that?"

"Exactly like that."

She threw her head back. "This isn't so difficult," she said haughtily. "Wait'll you chew it." Her smile dimmed. "What is it like?"

"You just have to try it."

Rose held the plug of tobacco up to her nose and sniffed. She grimaced. "It smells awful! Men actually enjoy chewing this?" Jack spoke slowly in an exaggerated "country" accent. "Yes ma'am, we do." She raised an eyebrow. "At least some men do," he added in his normal voice.

"Do you?"

"I like smoking better," he admitted.

She laughed. "I think I do too."

"Well then," he said, reaching into his pocket. When he pulled his hand out a moment later he held a cigarette paper. "Shall we?"

Rose watched his hands while he rolled the cigarette. His fingers moved so deftly, breaking up the tobacco and dropping it into the paper. He made it look so easy, the way he held it between his thumb and forefinger and rolled it in what looked like one quick movement. With a flourish he produced a lighter. "Will you do the honors?"

"Thank you." Her tone was curt, but her eyes were laughing. She leaned forward, lips parted slightly. He carefully placed the cigarette between her lips. "Here you are, ma'am," he said in a mock deferential tone. Her heart skipped a beat as he lit the cigarette. _Someone should draw __**his**__ hands,_ she thought.

They leaned against a tree, the blanket spread out beneath them, and passed the cigarette back and forth. When it was gone Jack rolled another. They didn't talk. Their shoulders were pressed together. Their clasped hands rested in the small space between their legs. After the third cigarette Rose said, "I've never smoked so much at one time before."

"I have." Jack blew a smoke ring. "Not often," he added. "Just sometimes at night, when I'd be laying on a bench looking up at the stars…..That's what I was doing the night we met." Rose took a drag. "You were?"

"Yeah." A faraway look came into his eyes. "I was just laying there thinking about…well, nothing really and then suddenly there you were. Or there you went I guess I should say." Rose scooted closer to him. "Can you imagine what would have happened if you hadn't been on deck that night? I might be dead."

"You wouldn'ta jumped."

"I could have fallen trying to climb back over," she pointed out. "And no-one would have been there to help me." He squeezed her hand. "Doesn't matter. I _was_ there, and I'll always be there."

Across the park Matilda was trailing behind her aunt Una and her friend Celia. _When I said I wanted to go for a walk this is not what I had in mind,_ she thought. Una was blathering on about something—Matilda didn't know what—and Celia was nodding enthusiastically. Every so often she would interject a "Quite right" or a "Such a pity". Matilda was beginning to wonder if she knew any other words.

_Staying inside would have been preferable to this, _she thought with a sigh. "Aunt Una," she began. Una paused mid-sentence. "Yes, Matilda?" Before Matilda could continue a sudden gust of window blew her hat right off her head. "Oh dear!" she cried. Una and Celia watched in horror as she began to run after the hat, which was already being carried off by the wind.

The hat landed at Jack and Rose's feet.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews!**

Jack was holding her hat when Matilda reached the other side of the park. She was running so fast she had trouble stopping. She doubled over, clutching her aching sides. Her lungs were on fire. Her corset dug into the tender flesh covering her ribs. "Th—thank you," she managed to gasp. Her face was blood red and beads of sweat covered her forehead. "It's nothing," Jack said. He bent down. "Are you alright?" She nodded. "I'm fine. I—I just wasn't thinking." Suddenly she was all too aware of her position. She snapped back to her full height. _Have you_ _forgotten yourself completely? _And then her aunt's voice joined in. _Really, Matilda, what is wrong with you? Throwing yourself at a strange man like a common (word whispered so quietly even Una herself couldn't hear it). _She reached for the hat. "I'm terribly sorry for your trouble."

He waved away her apology. "Don't worry about it," he said with a smile. Matilda felt her cheeks growing hot again. There was something about him, something captivating— "Matilda!" Una's voice clanged in her ears like a bell. Matilda grabbed the hat out of Jack's hands. "Thank you again," she said quickly before rushing toward the top of the hill where Una and Celia were waiting.

"What were you thinking?" Una scolded. "What possessed you to run off like a—a—" The only words she could think of were simply too vulgar to say. "I'm sorry, Aunt Una." Matilda jammed the hat back on her head. "I don't know what I was thinking. It won't happen again."

"If you used hat pins like a sensible girl this wouldn't have happened."

Matilda nodded. "Yes, Aunt Una."

Matilda watched as Una and Celia began to walk away and Celia began a two hour discussion of why Una was right. She knew it would be a matter of moments before they noticed she wasn't following, but she couldn't help herself. Holding her hat down with both hands she turned around. She wanted one last look at the man whose smile made her blush, silly as it sounded. _You'll never see him again. And for all you know he's one of those shiftless drifters who would just as soon—_Her eyes found Jack before she could finish the thought. He was sitting under a tree next to a woman. Matilda swallowed a gasp. "Rose!"

Her mind raced for the rest of the day. She didn't hear anything her aunt said. She replied to everything with a, "Yes" or "How interesting." Finally, Una, fed up with a portion of her audience's mind being elsewhere, sent her to bed. "You need a rest," she said. "All that running couldn't have been good for you."

In bed, and free to think without interruption, Matilda examined the events of the day. Had it really been Rose? "It was her. I'm sure it was." But then that meant… "That man was the one she ran away with." She sat bolt upright. "That was the man she left Cal for!"

She convinced Una to let her walk in the park alone the next day—of course, alone meant with a maid, but for all it took to convince Bridget to walk one way while she walked another was a few dollars. She was determined to find Rose again. It didn't make sense. She didn't know what she would do or say when she found them. She just knew she had to.

They were by the lake this time. Rose was lounging on a blanket, barefoot, her red curls blowing in the breeze. She was laughing. Jack was sitting a few feet away, his portfolio across his lap. _He's the man I saw sketching!_ Matilda thought. So he was some sort of artist. Rose's choice was now either even more foolish or more romantic; she couldn't decide which.

She wasn't sure how long she had been watching them when Rose looked over and caught her eye. Her first instinct was to run, but she was frozen, unable to move a muscle. Rose's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before a smile spread across her face. Matilda couldn't believe her eyes when she raised her hand and waved her over.

"I'm sorry for staring," Matilda said. _Don't recognize me. Don't recognize me. _For whatever reason, Rose didn't. "I could stare at Jack here while he's drawing all day," she said. Jack ducked his head. "Is he—are you any good?" Jack shrugged. "You could say that." Rose tousled his hair. "He's wonderful." Jack couldn't suppress a grin. "He's one of the most gifted artists I've ever seen," she added, laying her hand on his.

"May I see?" Matilda asked hesitantly. Jack held out the portfolio. "Sure." He watched as she flipped through the drawings, noting the way her face changed with each one. "She's right," Matilda said, handing it back. "You are gifted." He squeezed Rose's hand. "It's just my beautiful model."

Matilda could have stood there and watched them forever. They were so obviously in love. They almost glowed with it. _She really is happy now, _she thought with a pang. It didn't seem right somehow. Not that she wanted Rose to be unhappy. It was just, how could running away with a strange man—a _poor_ strange man, no less—lead to such happiness? It didn't make sense. "Well, I must be going. Thank you for showing me your work. It's lovely."

…..

"That was a bit odd, wasn't it?" Rose said as they walked home. "Hmm?" Jack was watching an argument unfold between the people ahead of them. "Oh. You mean that girl? Yeah, that was a bit unusual, I guess. I've had girls come up and ask what I was drawing before but never any as well dressed as her." He slipped an arm around Rose's waist. "Well, there was you, of course."

"I don't know why, but there was something familiar about her….I don't know what, though."

"Maybe she reminded you of someone you knew before?" he suggested. "You don't know anyone here do you?"

"No. The only girls I knew are back in Philadelphia." Her eyes dimmed. "Do you miss them?" he asked. She shook her head. "It isn't that. I was just thinking how I can't miss any of them because we were never close. I didn't have any real friends." He pulled her closer. "You've got me. I'll be your friend."

"You already are." She smiled. "You're my best friend." He kissed her cheek. "Best friend _and_ husband? I'm honored."

…..

Matilda didn't tell anyone about her discovery. She knew she should. The first thing she should do, she told herself, was march up to her aunt and tell her everything. But she held it in, difficult task though it was.

_If I tell her she'll know I went back on purpose. _But all the same, Rose's mother had a right to know where she was. She deserved to know her daughter was safe and sound. And Cal deserved to know too. "She isn't going to marry him anymore, that much is for sure, but still he has a right to know nothing happened to her." Matilda lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. "He cares for her. They were engaged for months, and then to have her just disappear…"


	21. Chapter 21

Matilda paused, her hand in the air above the phone. Was she doing the right thing? If Rose wanted her mother and fiancé—_Ex-fiancé,_ she corrected herself silently. _If she wanted her mother and her ex-fiancé to know where she was she would have told them by now. _But would she have? Matilda knew she wouldn't dare tell her family where she was if she had just run away with an, ostensibly, penniless artist. _But that doesn't mean I wouldn't want them to at least know I was alright. _And what harm could it do? Hadn't he said she was his wife? _If they're married there isn't much to be done about it,_ she thought, picking up the receiver.

….

"What do you want to do today?"

Rose stretched, loving the way the muscles in her legs flexed. She arched her back, using her elbows as support. "What do you want to do today?" Jack lay on his side, one arm tucked under his head. Pushing away the first answer that popped into his head, he said, "I want to draw you." She smiled. "You've drawn me twice a day for the past week."

"Is that all?"

She shoved him playfully. "There are far more interesting things you could be drawing." He curled an arm around her waist. "I can't think what that could be." He laced his fingers through hers, lightly sliding his fingertips across her hand. She held her breath; her heart pounded in her chest. Slowly, too slowly she thought, their faces came together. She threw an arm around his neck as his lips brushed hers. "Are you tryin to tell me something?" he murmured, breaking into a smile. "I can't think what that would be," she teased, twisting his shirt in her fingers. He nipped gently at her neck as she pulled his body onto her. "I guess I'll have to figure it out somehow," he whispered. His breath blew across her earlobe making her shiver.

She grabbed the top of his pants. She could feel him, already hard against her thigh as she fought with the buttons. He slipped her dress off her shoulders. "I don't know why we bothered to get up today."

...

"I see." Cal tapped his pen against the desk. "Oh yes. I quite understand. Yes. Thank you." He laid the phone carefully in its cradle. He leaned back, still tapping the pen. "So that's where they've been hiding." He expected them to be halfway across the country or even to have left it entirely. But rat bastards like Jack never did what you expected them to. He'd expected him to drown when that damned ship had gone done, but then there he was, Rose in his arms, daring him to do something about it. "He thinks he's won." A low chuckle escaped Cal's throat. "He thinks he's so smart hiding right under my nose."

He picked up the phone and began to dial.

...  
"Look at this." Rose smiled as Jack slid a large book toward her. "See that?" he said, pointing at a spot on the page. "I wanna be able to do that." She followed the path he traced with his fingertip. "You already can," she said. He shook his head. "I can't blend colors like that." She watched his eyes move; he murmured softly to himself as he studied the painting. "What do you see?" she said, leaning closer. He looked up, startled. "I—It's amazing," he said sheepishly. "It's exactly what I want to be doing one day."

"I'm sure you already can," she said confidently. She looped her arm through his. "Have you ever tried?"

"Painting? No. I've only done sketches. Never really had the money to paint and canvases are kinda hard to travel with." His gaze traveled back to the page.

She almost asked why he hadn't thought of selling paintings but thought better of it. Surely the thought would have occurred to him. "I'd like to see you paint me," she said. He nodded. "Okay," he said, not taking his eyes off the page. She leaned closer; her mouth was almost touching his ear. "I'd like to see you paint me like a French girl." His head snapped up. "You— you would?" She nodded, a smile spreading across her face. Her eyes danced mischievously. "If you're up to it, that is."

"I think I can find a way." His voice was barely a whisper. He was a bit surprised by just how soft it had suddenly become. They were in a library, but this was a bit ridiculous. He cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah I could do that." She kissed his cheek. "What was that for?" he asked with a grin. She kissed him again, on the lips this time. "Do I need a reason?" He shook his head slowly. "No."

They spent the next few hours wandering through the library, grabbing books that looked interesting off the shelves and flipping through them. They curled up in a overstuffed chair in a corner at the back of the library and read poems aloud.

Rose sighed happily as she settled her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her hair. "Tired?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "No." She glanced at the book on his lap. "That's a fitting story."

"What? Oh. Yeah, I guess it is." He opened the book. "They have the same initials as us just reversed."

"Perhaps that means something."

"If it means we're gonna have to kill ourselves I could do without it."

"That won't happen." She looked deep into his eyes. "I can't imagine ever feeling that way again." He hugged her tighter. "I'll make sure you don't."

_Two Days Later_

Cal swore as he stepped off the train. There wasn't a first class entrance to the station; the town was too small for such a thing, or so the conductor claimed. He smoothed his suit even though it didn't need it. "Is this where we'll find them?" Burns, his replacement for Lovejoy asked. "Somewhere in this filthy little town," Cal said, eyeing his fellow travelers with disgust. "Well, she shouldn't be too hard to spot," Burns said. Cal grunted in reply. Making conversation with his would have to wait; he had more important things to think about. Somewhere in this filthy little town was a filthy little whore who was about to get what was coming to her.

….

"Should we be doing something else?"

Jack glanced at her. "Like what?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "It just seems like we should be. It's so strange to think we can spend the whole afternoon just watching people go by. There isn't party we have to go to or a dinner we have to worry about getting dressed for." She looked at her hands. "Those don't sound like such horrible things, do they? Not like something I should be complaining about." He covered her hands with his. "They do if they make you unhappy," he said. She lifted her head and met his eyes. "It wouldn't be so bad if you were there."

"I don't think they'd like that much. I only almost pass for a gentleman, remember?" He was grinning slightly as he said it, but Rose couldn't tell if it was a real grin or a sarcastic one. "You are," she said. "You're so much more than any—" A piercing shriek rang out. They jumped to their feet. Jack pulled her close. "Stay here," he said, giving her a squeeze.

"You're not going—"

"Rose, just wait." He kissed her forehead. "I'll be right back."

"Jack! No!" But he was already halfway up the hill. She sighed. "Be careful, Jack." The sound of footsteps behind her made her blood run cold. _You're overacting!_ _There's no—_Her heart skipped a beat as an all too familiar voice sounded in her ears. "Hello, sweetpea."


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Sorry it took so long! I'll try to get another chapter up this week. This story is actually almost over. It gets graphic and M around the end of this chapter. Just a warning. **

Jack never knew what hit him. There was a quick burst of pain and then nothing. He crumpled and fell to the ground, landing with a soft _thump_. Burns stood over him, cane in hand, poised to strike again if necessary. But Jack didn't move. Burns wasn't even sure if he was still breathing. He didn't bother to find out. He tossed the cane into the lake and ran. He didn't stop until he was five blocks away from the park. He staggered to a halt; his knees buckling, he grabbed the side of the nearest building to steady himself. What had he just done? "You did what you were told to do," he murmured. "What you had to do. Why do you care what happens to him? He wasn't anyone to you." He took a deep breath. "Some people matter and some people don't." But that didn't make the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach go away.

…

Rose balled her hands into fists. Eyes blazing, she spun around. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "How dare you—" Cal grabbed her by the shoulders. "Oh no, Sweetpea, how dare _you_!" He spoke softly; his voice was like razor edged silk. She winced as his fingers dug into her skin. _Get away from him! _But how? She tried to speak but nothing came out. Her throat tightened. How had he found them? _We were so careful!_ Her teeth clicked together as he roughly pulled her forward. "You look at me when I'm talking to you!"

She tried to shove him away but she may as well have been trying to tip over a tree. Her mind raced. Where was Jack? Her eyes widened; a horrified gasp escaped her mouth. "_You—_Jack!" she screamed. She twisted away from Cal, hoping he would lose his grip. "Jack!"

The sound of the slap echoed across the silent park.

….

Jack's eyes fluttered. "Rose?" he murmured. He reached out, expecting to feel her next to him but all he felt was soft grass sliding through his fingers. "Rose?" He opened his eyes. The sky was orange and pink above him. "What—when did—" He started to sit up. A hand landed on his shoulder. "Don't!" He turned his head and found himself staring into Matilda's face. "Don't," she repeated, calmly this time. "It will hurt no matter what you do, but it will hurt even more if you jump back up." He didn't answer. He just let her slowly ease him into a sitting position.

"What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know. You were like this when I found you." She bit her lip. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

"I remember being with Rose on the other side of the hill, and then there was this scream…Oh shit!" He jumped to his feet, ignoring the pain that blossomed in the back of his head. "Rose!" he yelled, starting up the hill. "Rose!"

Matilda followed. "Wait!"

But he didn't seem to hear her. He broke into a run as he reached the top of the hill. She was breathing heavily when she finally caught up with him. Clutching her sides, she said, "Why did you—"

"She isn't here!" He turned to face her. "You didn't see her, did you?" Matilda shook her head. "I just found you lying there. You looked like someone had hit you." She covered her mouth with her hands. "Did someone—"

"They did." His mouth thinned. "That son of a bitch."

"Who? What's going on? Are you alright—"

"Where are the good hotels?"

She stared at him. "What?"

"The good hotels. You know, the best places. Where are they?"

…

Rose dug her heels into the carpet. "No!" She struggled to break free of Cal's grip. With an irritated grunt he shoved her back. She teetered on her heels for a moment but didn't fall. "He'll find me," she said. Cal chuckled as he locked the door. "I wouldn't be too sure of that." Rose's blood ran cold. Cal smiled. "What's wrong, Sweetpea? You didn't think I would overlook detail as important as that, did you?" She jerked away as he reached out to touch her face. His smile hardened. He grabbed her chin. "Don't you even _think_ about seeing that gutter rat again." He brought his face close to hers. "You are mine. Do you hear me? Mine!"

Her nose wrinkled in disgust. The urge to spit in his face was almost overwhelming. "I've never been yours," she said. "And I never will be. Jack—" His hand smashed into her cheek bone. She moaned quietly. Blood trickled down her face. "You can't change that I'm his wife," she said. "No amount of money can change the fact that I married him instead of you!"

He tilted her head back. "Oh my naïve little Rose," he said, shaking his head. "There is _nothing_ money can't do." He kissed her, a harsh, forceful kiss. She screamed silently. She tried to shove him away but he grabbed her wrists. "You would let him kiss you." She tried desperately to free herself from his grip; the more she struggled the tighter he squeezed her wrists. "There isn't much you wouldn't let him do, is there?" he said, his voice thick with disgust. "Filthy whore to the filthy rat."

"I'd rather be his whore than your wife!" She yelped as he slapped her. "How dare you!" he hissed. "After everything I've given you—everything I offered you! I would have made you a queen!" He pushed her onto the bed. Unbuttoning his pants he said, "But if a whore is what you want to be…"

Rose jumped up, but he shoved her back down. She kicked wildly. "No!" He pinned her down. Her dress was pushed up around her hips; his knees were between her thighs. "Don't," she said softly. "Cal, please."

He kissed her. She gagged as he shoved his tongue into her mouth. It felt foreign, wrong, nothing like the way Jack kissed her. Jack's lips fit hers perfectly, as though they had been made to kiss only her. She squirmed. Unfortunately, that just excited him more. With a groan he pressed himself against her. A wave of nausea washed over her. It felt like a spear was being pushed between her legs. _Jack, where are you?_

She screamed as he shoved himself into her. He didn't seem to notice. He threw his head back and let out a low moan. Finally. She squeezed her eyes closed. _Jack. Jack. Jack. _


	23. Chapter 23

Rose's knees buckled when she tried to stand. She grabbed the end table next to the bed and slowly lowered herself to the floor. Her stomach lurched. She clenched her jaw, determined not to be sick. _You can do this. _She began to crawl toward the bathroom at a pace that would have seemed slow to the average turtle.

She didn't recognize the woman in the mirror. It wasn't her; it couldn't be. She didn't have sallow skin or a swollen, split lip. She didn't have a black mass where her cheekbone should be. Her hair wasn't a matted nest of what were once curls. Her eyes weren't empty. Her stomach lurched again. She leaned forward, gripping the sink for support. She closed her eyes. _Just breathe. _But no amount of air could stop the contents of her stomach from filling the sink.

Hot, angry tears ran down her cheeks. She stumbled over to the bathtub. It took three tries before she finally got the water running. She climbed in, noticing neither the scalding temperature nor that she was still dressed. She took a deep breath and plunged her head underwater. Her lungs were on fire by the time she finally resurfaced. She gasped for air, gulping down all that she could before going under again.

Matilda glanced at Jack out of the corner of her eye. His hands were clenched into fists; he stared out the window, studying every detail of the streets that flew by. He hadn't spoken once in the twenty minutes since she had hailed the taxi. Except for giving the driver an address neither had she. Jack raised his head slightly when the rows of modest houses and family owned business began to be replaced by walled in mansions and hotels. Matilda slumped down in the seat. _If Aunt Una sees me..._

"Rose!"

Matilda jumped. "What?" But Jack didn't hear her. He already had the car door open and was preparing to jump before she could even think to tell the driver to stop.

Jack hit the ground running. "Rose!" he yelled. "Rose!"

Rose raised her head. "Jack?" It couldn't be him. How would he know where to find her? Cal's voice rang in her ears. Would he even be able to try and find her? "Rose!" There it was again, louder this time as though the voice was getting closer. "Rose, honey, look at me!" There was no mistaking it. "Jack?" She leaned over the edge of the balcony. He gazed up at her. "Rose." A lump formed in her throat. "Jack." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh, Jack!"

"Hang on just one more second," he said. "I'm comin up."

"How-" She watched, dumbstruck, as he scrambled up a tree; its branches extended just over the edge of the balcony's left side. A moment later he was leaping from the branch. And then he was landing with a quiet _thud_. And then she was in his arms. "I'm sorry," he said. "Rose, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I'm so sorry!" He lifted her head. Gingerly he touched the bruise on her cheek. "Oh Rose." There were tears in his voice. "I'm so sorry. Rose, I'm so sorry." He knew it was useless; how could an apology possibly make up for whatever Cal had done to her? And yet he couldn't seem to stop saying it. She pressed her face into his chest. "Jack—" She said something else but it was lost in a flood of tears. She clutched the front of his shirt, twisting the fabric around her fingers. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and tightened his embrace. "It's okay," he said. He rubbed her back. "It's gonna be okay. I'm here." He paused. _Is her dress wet? _It was more than just wet; the whole thing was soaked through. And her hair was damp. _What the hell happened? _There would be time to ask later. At that moment all that mattered was getting her out of there.

Rose took a deep breath. There couldn't possibly be any tears left. She was empty. She had cried them all out. Only she hadn't, and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't make the tears stop. She could feel herself starting to shake. _Stop. Stop. Stop. _Jack's arms tightened around her. "It's okay," he repeated. "Rose honey, it's okay. Whatever happened—" The words stuck in his throat. He knew exactly what had happened. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. "We'll get through it," he said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "I love you." He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "Don't you ever forget that. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Do you understand that?"

Rose raised her head. "Jack!" They stared at each other for a moment, both confused as to who had called his name. "Jack! Jack, down here!" As one they leaned over the edge of the balcony. Matilda stood at the bottom of the tree. "He's coming!" she hissed. Rose clung to Jack with a new intensity. "Don't worry," he said. "He's not coming anywhere near you ever again."

"We can't get out without him seeing us," she said.

"Yes, we can." He glanced at the nearest branch. "Do you trust me?"

"I trust you."

Matilda swallowed a yelp of fear as Jack began to inch his way onto the branch with Rose on his back. She covered her mouth with her hands. _He'll kill them both!_ She looked at the French doors that led into the hotel lobby. There was no sign of Cal anywhere. "Hurry," she hissed.

"Don't be afraid," Jack whispered. "Just hang on to me. Don't let go, Rose." She nodded. "I won't let go." She pressed her face to his back and closed her eyes. "Almost there," he said. "Just hang on a little longer." He was too busy trying to keep them from falling to notice the figure creeping up behind them.

Pain shot through the back of Rose's head. She jerked back; her eyes flew open. "Jack!" His head whipped around. His face twisted. "You son of a bitch!" In one quick motion he ducked and rolled Rose across his back. She wobbled a bit, but she landed on her feet. Cal, taken by surprise, lost his grip on her hair. He stared at Jack as if he wasn't sure what to do next. Jack hopped off the balcony railing. "You son of a bitch," he said again, quietly this time.

The sound of his voice snapped Cal out of his daze. He lunged toward him. Jack stepped aside. Cal's fist only hit air. He swore under his breath. Rose screamed as he turned toward her. He grabbed at the front of her dress. She slapped his hands. "Get away from me!" He pulled her to him. She twisted her body from side to side, frantically trying to escape his clutches. "You really are just a little slut aren't you?" he spat, shaking her. Her teeth rattled in her head. With a furious scream Jack grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall. He pinned him. Cal tried to throw his arms back, but Jack held him fast.

Rose shrank back against the railing as the battle unfolded in front of her. Jack appeared to be winning until Cal in a hard punch with his left hand. Jack staggered back. His disorientation was only momentary, but it was all the time Cal needed to get another shot in. Jack slammed into the railing. _Rose!_ his mind screamed. He dodged Cal's next punch. Cal grunted angrily. He grabbed Jack's hair. "Fucking rat—Ooomph!" His eyes rolled back in his head. His legs folded and he slumped to the ground. Rose stood over him, a brass candlestick in her hand.

**AN:** **Only one more to go!**


	24. Chapter 24

**AN: I hope you like it!**

When Cal woke up they were gone. Except for his throbbing head and the candlestick laying on his chest there was no sign either of them had ever been there. When he saw Matilda at the train station a few days later she acted as if she didn't know him. He tried to speak to her, but she just stared at him blankly. Eventually gave up. As the countryside rolled by he told himself it wasn't her after all but another girl who just happened to look like her. He tried a few more times to find Jack and Rose, but they may as well have dropped off the Earth for all the luck he had. Sometimes he wondered if there wasn't an unspoken conspiracy against him.

Ruth knew nothing of his tip from Matilda or his mission to retrieve Rose. When he announced his plan to stop the search she just nodded. "Yes, perhaps that will be the best thing," she said, feeling as if a cold hand were on her throat. It was a miracle she even got the words out. He said something else, she didn't know what, she couldn't hear anything but the blood pounding in her ears, and left for the last time. Mary found her later that night, still sitting at the table with the tea things out.

"Ma'am?" She laid a tentative hand on her shoulder. It was the first time she had ever touched her, and for a moment she was shocked to discover Ruth was in fact a solid person. She resisted the urge to pinch her. "Are you alright?" Ruth stared at her blankly. "Yes," she said finally. She gestured toward the table. "Clear this away."

"Is that all, ma'am?" Mary asked when she was finished. Ruth nodded. "You may go." After a quick curtsy Mary hurried from the room. In the kitchen she discovered the staff engrossed in a new round of gossip. They were sure Ruth had lost her mind which, they all swore, was no surprise to anyone. Mary listened to the stories, some decades old and most likely untrue or so exaggerated the truth had long been lost, and wondered which of them would be the first to go. The money was gone, they all knew that, had known all along in fact.

The firings didn't start for another few weeks. It was slow at first, a housemaid here, a groundskeeper there. As people began to disappear so did objects. Ruth stretched her possessions as far as she could selling them only when she had to. She started with her husband's things. When those were gone she moved on to the small pieces of furniture, some of it a century or two old, before finally starting on the artwork and knickknacks. As her supply dwindled she was forced to ransack her own drawers, pulling out pieces of jewelry she hadn't seen in years. There were brooches she had only worn once and then tossed aside, rings that didn't fit, that had never fit but she kept them anyway and forced them onto her fingers when the occasion called for it. There was a drawer full of pearls, ropes and ropes of them. Her jewelry alone could have kept a family of five fed for a dozen years, but it would never be enough to keep her comfortable.

Rose's things were the next to go, or at least, that was the plan, but when she opened the door and stepped inside she felt the cold hand on her throat again. It was immaculate. The bed was perfectly made; there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. To someone who didn't know better it would appear as though Rose were about to come home any minute.

Except she wasn't. She was never coming back.

Ruth rifled through the drawers of her vanity table. She found her jewelry almost immediately. It was meticulously arranged in a small, velvet lined box. She paused for a moment. The pieces were breathtaking; how could anyone not want them? The pieces Cal had given her were the best. Ruth shook her head. "Stupid girl."

She sold Rose's jewelry slowly, piece by piece. She didn't admit it even to herself but part of her wanted a reason to keep going into Rose's room. Finally, when there was only one piece left, she gave the rest of the drawers a second look. To her surprise she discovered a small book. If reading a person's private thoughts is supposed to bring a new understanding—and in some cases even sympathy for—of that person then Ruth must have done something wrong because reading Rose's diary only confirmed her belief that Rose was foolish and selfish.

"How could she think she loved him?" she said disgustedly. She closed the book. "How could she be so—to give up everything—and for—" She tucked the book under her arm. When Mary came into the sitting room to announce dinner was being served a Ruth was standing in front of a roaring fire.

She never saw Rose again. No-one ever did. Eventually her name stopped being mentioned and she became more myth than reality, the debutante who disappeared on the eve of her wedding to a dashing millionaire. She was a cautionary tale told to young girls, a warning of what could happen if they talked to strange men. "She's miserable now," their mothers and aunts said. "If she's even still alive."

Rose would have laughed had she known the stories that were told about her. For of course, she was very much alive and decidedly _not_ miserable. She and Jack had left Pennsylvania and never looked back. They drifted across the country, traveling only when the mood struck them. When winter hit they settled in Chicago to wait for the snow to thaw. Other than one incident during which Jack was chased down the street by a blonde woman who "just wanted to touch him once", an incident which he decided it would be best if he kept to himself, their life was peaceful. Jack got a job tending bar, and Rose found a position teaching French to young girls whose mothers were determined to see them "marry well."

In the spring they moved on, and by July they had their feet in the Pacific Ocean. "It's so warm!" Rose cried happily, throwing her arms out. She turned to Jack. "It really is as wonderful here as you said." He grinned. "We haven't even gotten to our plans yet."

"Scared?"

Rose shook her head. She pressed her hands against his. His arms tightened around her middle. "I'm riding like a man!" she said with a laugh. "And next you're gonna have to learn to chew tobacco like a man," he teased.

"I already learned that in finishing school."

"They left out spitting but covered tobacco chewing?"

"They only offered advanced courses."

Jack kissed her cheek. "What about roller coaster riding?"

"I don't believe they ever offered that course."

"Couldn't have been a very good school then."

"It wasn't." She looked at him over her shoulder. "Thank you," she said softly. She leaned back and kissed him. It was dark when they finally came up for air.

Jack slid off the horse. His hands tingled as he helped Rose climb down. "Look," she said, pointing at the sky. "It's a shooting star," he said. He slipped an arm around her waist. "Make a wish."

"I already got my wish."

"Me too."

_The End_


End file.
